The Secret

"'So now, with God as our witness,

and in the sight of all Israel

--the LORD's assembly--

I give you this charge.

Be careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God,

so that you may continue to possess this good land

and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance.

'And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God

of your ancestors intimately.

Worship and serve him with your whole heart 

and a willing mind.

For the LORD sees every heart 

and knows every plan and thought.  

If you seek him, you will find him.

But if you forsake him,

he will reject you forever.

So take this seriously.

The LORD has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary.

Be strong,

and do the work.'"

1 Chronicles 28:8-10 NLT

Everything was in place.  David had reached the end of his reign and was ready to place the crown on his son's head.  Before giving him such a responsibility, however, there were some things Solomon needed to know.  The charge David gave to his son could be a blueprint for living a life that is pleasing to God.  

What's the secret?  Well, it's really no secret.

Know and Serve.  It's easy to do one without the other.  I get caught up in serving, doing things for God, things He never asked me to do.  Things I think are necessary to the workings of His kingdom.  Things that seem good.  As I labor with gusto, I find myself growing weary as my own strength peters out.  Before I know it, the ministry I used to relish is nothing more than a chore; a responsibility added onto my long list of tasks to be done each week.

I was never meant to do things for God.  Instead, He'd rather I spend time with Him, getting to know Him in a more intimate way each day (Luke 10:38-42).  Then, when I see Him at work around me, I can join in, working in Him.  In this way it's really Him doing the work through me, empowering me to persist and enabling me to succeed (1 Corinthians 15:10, John 15:5).

I recently cut some blackberry vines that were intruding into our yard.  Before I severed their link to the main part of the plant, they were healthy and vibrant, producing delicious berries of their own.  Within an hour of clipping those branches, the leaves were withering and wilting.  I am just like this blackberry vine:  Apart from Jesus, I don't have the necessary resources needed to thrive and I will never bear kingdom fruit.  If I make it my life's pursuit to grow closer in my relationship with Him each passing day, relying on His Spirit for all that I need to live, fruit will be produced in abundance and I will never run out of steam.

I am charged with knowing God and serving through Him.

Seek.  Meaning.  Purpose.  Wealth.  Fame.  Praise.  Security.  There are many things I can seek in this life.  Some seem beneficial while others are obviously destructive and self-serving.  None, however, will bring satisfaction apart from one pursuit.

I am promised to find God if I seek Him with all of my heart (Deuteronomy 4:29).  He is not a God who plays hide-and-seek, withholding his affections if He's having a bad day, or is overwhelmed with requests from others, or just doesn't feel like hanging out with me.  Jesus is always ready to meet me where I am and desires nothing more than to be invited in to the most mundane parts of my life (Revelation 3:20).  He wants to be found.

If I will hold God as my most valued treasure, worthy of being pursued as my utmost endeavor, I will find contentment and fulfillment.  If, however, He is just one of many pursuits, I will always feel like there is something missing and my heart will always be found wanting.

I am charged with seeking God with all of my heart.

Be strong and do it!  There are some callings that seem more important than others.  Missionary work in a war-torn country.  Preaching God's Word to a hungry flock.  Feeding the hungry and hopeless on the street.  Somehow, it's easy to glamorize some work while minimizing others.

In God's kingdom, however, every position is important, vital to the function of the whole (1 Corinthians 12:18).  Therefore, wherever God has placed me to serve, I must do so with gusto, realizing it's importance to God and His kingdom (1 Corinthians 10:31).

If I am called to be a mother, even if it doesn't seem very life-shattering to wipe runny noses and tie little shoe-laces, I can do my job as if it is the most important job in the world, which it is.  

If I am placed in a position as a janitor, while I may be looked down upon by many, I can clean with all my heart, letting Him use me for His glory and keeping in mind that doing my best is important to God.  

If I sometimes feel overlooked in the place God has positioned me, thinking there is nothing special about my life, I must remember that what I do is vitally important in God's eyes.  Since He saw fit to drop me down into this situation, it means I have a job to do that has kingdom merit.

I am charged to stay strong in the Lord and do my job to the glory of God.

David's charge to Solomon is filled with godly wisdom.  When I follow his advice, I will see the value in building my relationship with the Lord daily and being a willing servant, make it my life's pursuit to seek Him wholeheartedly, and to realize the importance of the position in which He's placed me and do my work to His glory.  In these ways I have discovered the secret of living a meaningful and fulfilling life that pleases God.  

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can stop going after meaningless pursuits.

When do I forsake my relationship with God in order to go after the latest craze?

When do I get caught up in looking for meaning in all the wrong places?  

Now. . .

"Now seek the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.

Build the sanctuary of the LORD God 

so that you can bring the Ark of the LORD's Covenant

and the holy vessels of God into the Temple

built to honor the LORD's name."

1 Chronicles 22:19 NLT

The location had been chosen.  The materials were gathered and orders given for their preparation.  The charge and blessings were passed on from the Lord.  Needed encouragement for such a large project was imparted.  God's presence and provision was assured.  David made sure that everything was in place for his son Solomon to successfully build the temple.  Now it was Solomon's turn.

It's similar for me.  Everything has been set in place, prepared for me so that I can walk the path God has chosen for me (Hebrews 12:1, Ephesians 1:3, 1 Corinthians 1:7, John 10:10).  Now it's my turn.

Set.  "I can do anything I set my mind to do."  This is a popular sentiment that is based on the fact that what I think about can influence the direction my life takes.  Athletes understand the power of the mind and often use positive thought processes and well as visualization techniques to improve their performance.

If I use my brain power to mostly think about my own worthlessness, dwelling on how I have failed and doubting whether God can use me, I will head down that road of destruction.  If I focus mostly on using my own common sense and abilities to negotiate my way through life, I will move in a direction that takes me away from the Source of all I need to live the life I was created to live.  If my mind generates thoughts of worldly success, acquiring the trappings of the modern life and making for myself a comfortable existence that feeds my fleshly desires, I will succeed in making my own agenda rule supreme.

If, however, I set my mind on things above, using the brain God gave me to generate pure, lovely, excellent and praiseworthy thoughts, seeking Him and His will in all that I do, I will find myself walking the obscure path of life (Colossians 3:2, Philippians 4:8, Matthew 7:13-14).  Many times, spiritual warfare is waged on the battlefield of my mind (Ephesians 6:12).

Now that I have been given new life through faith in Jesus Christ, it is time for me to set my mind on the things of Christ.

Arise.  The time just didn't seem right.  I didn't have all my ducks in a row, so to speak.  I felt ill-equipped and unprepared.  Still, God had given me my marching orders.  Either I could ignore Him and continue on as if I hadn't heard His still, small voice, or I could muster up the courage to do as He had said.

Obedience takes faith.  In order to do what God wants me to do I must believe that He will equip me once I take that first step.  Walking forward into the darkness of the unknown, however, can be scary.  Instead of dwelling in fear and doubt, talking myself out of action, it is better to follow the advice of Nike and "Just do it."

God is always at work behind the scenes, setting all the necessary pieces in place and moving every player to where they need to be.  When I balk at His direction, hesitating to do as He has said, I am proving my lack of faith.  When I obey, refusing to wait for the elusive perfect time to act, I will find His plan at work all around me.

Now that I have been given new life through faith in Jesus Christ, it is time for me to arise and get to the business of obeying His call on my life.

Reap.  The ripened berries were dangling before me as I carefully moved down the row of raspberry vines.  Everywhere I looked, the tantalizing fruit hung down like tiny, ruby treasures hidden among the foliage.  I couldn't wait to pick this delicious fruit and get to the business of making jam.

While berries are quite delectable, there is another kind of fruit that is even more desirable.  When I let God's Spirit have His way in my life, giving Him the leeway He needs to work in my heart, I will discover evidence of His fruit growing in my flesh.  

Instead of impatiently pushing forward, I'll find the ability to wait on the Lord.  While I used to have a cynical attitude, now I see more of a joyful hope abiding within.  In the place of the anxiety and turmoil that used to rule my inner being, I find a peace that makes no sense to me (Galatians 5:22-23).

Furthermore, my obedience to God's calling on my life will lead to great blessing (Psalm 24:1-5).  Covered as I am by the blood of Jesus, I am free to focus on His kingdom as my standing with Him is made good (Romans 5:9-11, Matthew 6:33).  Instead of feeling the need to prove myself as worthy, or make my life mean something important, or going after all the things I think I need, I can simple abide in Him (John 15:5).  As I go after His will, I will find my perspective changing, giving me new goals and desires that line up with His (Psalm 37:4).  The resulting spiritual gifts will prove God's favor on my life.

Finally, as I set my mind on God and His ways, getting to the work of obeying Him, I will find myself making much of Him in my day-to-day dealings.  People will look at the fruit of my life and praise my Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16)!

Now that I have been given new life through faith in Jesus Christ, it is time for me to reap what He has sown.

It is easy for me to think I need to wait for just the right time before I can do what God wants me to do.  I must realize, however, that He has already laid all the groundwork.  Therefore, it is my job to set my mind on the task of seeking the Lord and get to the work of doing what I know He is calling me to do.  As a result, I will reap godly fruit and blessings as God gets the glory for the great things He is doing.  Now is the time.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to step out in faith and obedience.

When do I wait, thinking I'm not ready to do as He has said?

How do I miss out on a blessing because of my fear and doubt?