Happy Monday to you all! 🙂
I’ve been thinking about this past week, and have concluded that this was probably the most Spiritually meaningful Easter my family and I have ever experienced. We did some special activities and devotions as a family this year that made God’s gift and Jesus’ sacrifice the focus of our week. I think the actual cost of our forgiveness “sunk in” to our children’s hearts, and I pray that none of us will think of our sin as lightly and “insignificant” as we did before.
But I don’t think it was necessarily more special or meaningful because of the activities we did or did not do. I think this was the most meaningful Easter season (at least for me) because I was daily searching for ways to make it meaningful to our children, and in the process, the Lord burned deep in my own heart the reality of the truths I wanted to share with our children. Make sense?
I keep thinking about the promise in Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” The Lord helped me to do that this past week… Keeping my eyes in His Word, searching for the Lord, and finding Him in a deeper way.
Actually, since this season of Job Loss and dependence upon the Lord for every.tiny.detail… James and I both have been in a season of seeking the Lord with all our hearts, eyes, ears, etc… and God has been in a season of being found by us. It has been both a hard and a wonderful season of our lives.
One thing I can say for sure is that in the long run, it is truly a gift to “NEED” to seek the Lord. Because when we do… He promises that He will be found. We will find Him, and KNOW Him in a deeper and richer way because of it.
If you are in a season of life, or if it’s just one of those days, when you are desperate to hear from the Lord, please don’t give up. Keep seeking Him. He WILL be found. His Word says it to be true – and it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18).
God is a “rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).
” ‘When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” …You can count on it.‘ ” Jeremiah 29:11-14 (Amp)
What an encouraging promise to cling to!!! I’m praying right now for those of you who are seeking the Lord… those of you who NEED to hear from Him. Don’t give up, my friends. Keep seeking and listening, and He WILL be found.
“So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you.” Luke 11:9 (Amp)
~ ~ ~
On a totally different note:
I just couldn’t end this post without saying this with a big smile on my face: Guess who is a new contributing writer to the blog Adding Zest to your Nest? … That’s right! Me. 🙂 Today my bio and Topic are introduced and tomorrow my first post will be up. If you want to check it out, click here.
Have a wonderful Monday in the Lord, my friends…
Jennifer
Wow again,,wish I had found you yesterday,,,booohooo. Happy I did tonight though..We have an AWESOME GOD.."From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same,
the LORDS name is to be praised"Psalm 113:3 KJV
Jennifer, I love that in the midst of all you've been going through …this was your best Easter. Clinging to the Lord in times of uncertainty certainly lets us know what is important.
Thank you for your comments recently on Heart Choices. Much is going on and I'll update you as I can. I like the zesty part and will check out the link. YOu go girl!!!
Love you and continue praying for you,
Debbie
Hey Girl! I'm SO happy about your new writing role at Zest!!!! That's awesome. What a blessing you will be there.
I've been blog silent for the last weeks as I've been working my way through the Word. Into the Psalms now. And trusting the Lord has led me to do this and will help me see it to the end. So many highlights of areas to go back and study/sink into.
But I love your post bc the reason for my desire to make it through the entire bible is to seek Him.
Can't wait to catch up with you Friend. You continue in my prayers. Love to you….
Thank you for these beautiful words, Jennifer. This year, we celebrated Easter at home, like we normally do (living overseas has always meant no church family for us), and was really a very very special time. You are right- it is a blessing to NEED Him!
Just what I needed to hear today. =] A great word for a day when I'm so close to the end of my rope. But that's not a bad place to be! That's when I'm more aware of God and all that He is and His awesome power.
I don't know how/why that link showed up at Zest, but it could well have been simply because I needed this. =] Thank you. =]
And I'm SOOOOO glad you're joining us at Adding Zest!! =]
Hugs!
Hi, Jennifer! I dropped in from Elaine's, and I am so glad I came, as I really, really needed this word today! I am in one of those "needy" seasons!
So, thank you for your post and faithful obedience to God.
Many blessings,
Andrea
Jennifer…
Easter each year penetrates my heart to a new and deeper level. This year on Thursday as we celebrated The Last Supper it was announced in church that some dear friend's of ours son passed away that morning. He was 29… he had struggled with addiction for a few years and passed away from an apparent overdose. My heart ached (aches) for my friends. Sitting in church on Easter Sunday – hearing the words "I am the resurrection and the life" oh how I cling to his promise. I think of my friends and how in their pain are holding on to that promise. Knowing their son was a believer that they will someday be reunited with him in paradise.
Keep seeking Him… He never stops pursuing us!
Jennifer,
I too feel the same way about Easter this week. We had our Good Friday with the Lord's Supper and I just cried like a baby. It was one of the most meaningful experiences ever! Amazing Love and Grace so greatly bestowed upon me!
Congrats on adding a little slow cooking to the zest website!
I love you friends.
You go on with your zesty self girl! I'll hop over there in a minute.
You know, my Easter was perhaps the most meaningful one I've walked in a long time. Like you, I purposed in my heart on the front end the season to seek the Lord at every angle. While packing up my life and house, I came across one of Max Lucado's books from several years ago… a recap of his book "And the Angels were Silent." It's called "the final week of Jesus" and it traces those days/steps as only Max can do. I read each day, both the book and the corresponding scriptures and was filled to the brim with God's story.
It fills me still; how I hope to carry it throughout the year, not just in this season.
Isn't Easter so much more focused than Christmas? I much prefer this season over the craziness of Christmas.
Blessed week to you and yours. Spring has sprung over here!
peace~elaine