Seeking Forgiveness, a place to begin.

We are home from our vacation and I am thinking about worship services tomorrow. We are seeking the heart of God just as David pursued God's Heart. I was reading through 1 Samuel 28 and recalled a Beth Moore Study on King Saul's lack of pursuing God. I want to share with you my thoughts along with Beth's.

Saul expelled the spiritualists and the mediums from the land. A time later he asks God a question concerning the battle with the Philistines and God is quiet. Paul turns to an attendant and says, "go find one of those mediums I expelled...." (My Paraphrased version)

there are times when I forget Psalm 40.... and we have to wait patiently for the Lord. Sometimes it feels like we have to wait and wait and wait. At first we may wonder why we have to wait...in Saul's case we might even feel sympathetic towards him. God seems a little unfair, BUT GOD NEVER responds in haste, or flippant, or without regard to the response and outcome. Isaiah 59:1-3 gives a very valid explanation for God's occasional silence. "Your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear" (Isa. 59:2)

Saul was being disobedient to God. He killed an innocent man, he slaughtered the priests, and wiped away an entire innocent village. He has some regret, but never truly repents or seeks righteousness. Its not that God does not hear the prayers of the unrighteous, but that He wont. (There is a thought to ponder for awhile.)

I can vividly remember times in my life when God seemed silent, and I realized He was waiting on me to confront and confess certain sins in my life. His silence suggested, I will not go on to another matter in your life, my child, until we deal with this one." - Beth Moore

The first prayer in our pursuit of God and one that God will always be willing to hear is a prayer of sincere repentance. Our reliance on God is demonstrated in our faith. Our submission to Him allows Him to bless us beyond our imagination.

Pursuing Him...you know I love ya, Don