Seeking God

Taylor Stephen

Description

This book was written from personal experience and study on the subject, at a time when I knew I didn't have all the answers, but there was 'someone' who did, and I could reach out to Him. My time and study were put down into words, which then developed into this publication. I still don't have all the answers, but God does.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Date de parution: 30 avril 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781528956741
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Seeking God
Stephen Taylor
Austin Macauley Publishers
2019-04-30
Seeking God About The Author About The Book Dedication Copyright Information © Acknowledgement Introduction Back to the Beginning Who Did It? Examples of People Who Sought God Preparing to Seek God 1. Acknowledgement Why We Should Seek God Seeking God Is the First Priority It Is What God Requires Because of Who He Is Consequences of Not Seeking God Results of Seeking God When We Seek Him, We Will Find Him When We Seek Him, We Find Life God’s Hand Is upon Those Who Seek Him When We Seek Him, God Uses Us God Gives Vision to Those Who Seek Him Miracles Take Place When We Seek God Conclusion Helpful Scriptures on Seeking God
About The Author
Stephen Taylor has been in the Christian Ministry with his wife, Hilary, for thirty-eight years. They have three children, Natalie, Nathan and Paddy. Natalie is married to Barry and they have three little boys, Ethan, Isaac and Caleb. Nathan is married to Rebecca, who has a teenage son, Dylan.
Stephen served in the RAF from the age of sixteen for six years, but then felt the call of God to go into the ministry full time. He is still a full time Pastor working with his son-in-law Barry, along with their wives, Hilary and Natalie.
This work was put together after some time of study and contemplation, along with the encouragement of others to put it in writing.
About The Book
This book was written from personal experience and study on the subject, at a time when I knew I didn’t have all the answers, but there was ‘someone’ who did, and I could reach out to Him. My time and study were put down into words, which then developed into this publication. I still don’t have all the answers, but God does.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my wife, Hilary, for her faultless and devoted service with me in the Christian Ministry. The expertise, time and effort she has put into this project has made the book possible, and without her work and support, it would never have happened. To Barry and Natalie, whose commitment, support and encouragement have been an immense blessing. Also, to Nathan and Becca for their encouragement, and Paddy, who always keeps me on my toes!
Copyright Information ©
Stephen Taylor (2019)
The right of Stephen Taylor to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781528956741 (ePub e-book)
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2019)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LQ
Acknowledgement
To those who have reviewed and given their constructive feedback for this book, I am so very grateful.
Mostly I am grateful to God for the privilege of serving Him and for the opportunity He has given to me to put my thoughts into writing. May all glory belong to Him.
Introduction
If we were to ask what are the Biblical principles involved in seeking God, would we have a clear understanding of what we were talking about? Some time ago, I had a yearning to seek Him and put all else to one side in order that I might clearly hear what God wanted to say to me and what He desired of me in my ministry. I was compelled in my thinking that the only way I was going to see BREAKTHROUGH in my life and ministry was by seeking His face and doing nothing else until I had heard from God. For some of the people around me, this was a frustrating time because certain things needed to be done and it would have been easier to make decisions that would probably have been wrong – even though on the surface they would have had the agreement of many others.
One of the biggest, yet obvious, lessons I learned was that it does not just happen. I had to PREPARE MYSELF. No one could do it for me. I had to make a choice and follow it through. As I made this conscious decision, there was only one way I knew I could start. I shut myself away, spent time with God and His Word and God graciously began revealing to me how people in Biblical days went about this exercise.
The first thing God showed me was that men PREPARED themselves to SEEK GOD. I was reading 2 Chronicles at the time and after a short time, I was reading about Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 29-31. Right from the beginning of his reign, Hezekiah prepared himself and the people to walk in God’s ways. I would like to come back to the preparation process later as there is so much to talk about regarding our preparation.
Back to the Beginning
We need to go back to the beginning of history to appreciate that seeking God is not a modern idea or way of thinking. Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain was ungodly in his approach while Abel was the opposite. This led to the murder of Abel. In Gen 4:16-24, we see the ungodly lineage of Cain. Eve had another son called Seth, Gen. 4:25-26. Seth had the same nature as Abel. In Gen. 5, we read the genealogy of Seth. It was from the line of Seth that Enoch was born. V.24: “And Enoch walked with God; and he was not for God took him.”
Way back even before Enoch, there was the Godly influence of the family line. Seth had a son and named him Enosh. Adam was one hundred and thirty when Seth was born. Seth was one hundred and five years old when he had Enosh. Mankind is two hundred and thirty-five years old when we read in Gen. 4:26, “Then men began to call on the name of the Lord.”
We are talking about the beginning of time when man realises his need to call on God. This is not like calling someone for his or her dinner or for some other significant occasion. It is far more intense than that. This word means: to cry out, call aloud, roar to proclaim, pronounce, preach, summon or to implore. The word for call here is QARA. It is usually addressed to a specific recipient and intended to elicit a specific response. Sometimes, it is a sustained calling desiring to attract the attention of the person being called. Here, in Gen. 4:26, it is used to seek God’s aid or attention. David said in Ps. 145:18, “The LORD is near to all who call upon Him.” The same word is used in this context. When we desire Him and urgently call upon Him, God is very close to us. Isaiah 55:6, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.” When we are urgent and have a real desire to seek Him, God is right there with us.
This word was especially used when someone had a critical need. Psalm 34 is a Psalm about seeking God. In V.6 we read, “This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him.” It is the same word used here as in Ps. 81:7, “You called in trouble, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I proved you at the waters of Meribah.”
It seems to me that right from the very beginning, mankind realised his total dependency was on God. He was the One who could meet every need and be the answer to every situation. Is it possible that in today’s society we have lost that feeling of total dependency on God? We are self-sufficient:
We have our wages
We have doctors and nurses
A lot of things today are convenience-orientated i.e. a lot of things are readily available. Fast foods, ready-made meals to heat up, flat pack furniture etc.
These are not wrong in themselves, and it is not wrong to make use of them; they can even be a blessing from God BUT is it possible they have taken the edge off our need to call on God?
Gen. 12:8 Abram “called (qara) on the name of the LORD.” This was shortly after he was told to leave Haran. His dependency is now on God. In Gen. 13:4, we read exactly the same words. This time Abram is, now, very wealthy but his sense of dependency on God has not changed. Gen. 18:22, “Abraham STILL STOOD before the LORD.” Abraham remained in His presence. Notice his name has now changed from Exalted Father (Abram) to Father of Nations (Abraham). But he still stood before the LORD and still realised his need of Him.
Gen. 21:33, “Abraham called on the name of the everlasting God.” Gen. 24:63, “Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening…”
Result? He looked and saw his answer coming. Rebekah was on her way. V.67: “and he loved her.”
Isaac was in a desperate situation. Rebekah was barren and could not have children. What does he do? Gen. 25:21, “Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife.”
‘Pleaded’ here means interceded or entreated. The result was “the LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived.” In the next verse Rebekah herself needs an answer and we read “so she went to enquire of the LORD.” Again, the meaning here is to seek, to consult, to ponder. She receives the answer that two nations are in her womb and, even at this stage, there is conflict between them that will continue through the ages of time. Later, Esau and Jacob are born, and their lives are full of conflict with each other and it has not stopped to this day.
Jacob marries the love of his life, Rachel. She, likewise, cannot conceive. We see her desperation in Gen. 30:1. She pleads her case with God and calls on Him to help her. This is evident in V.22, “Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.