Psalm 53: 2, Acts 17: 26-28, Psalm 63

Jeff Cutts

God looks down from heaven
on the entire human race;
he looks to see if there is even one with real understanding,
one who seeks for God.
Psalm 53:2

As I sat down to write this I asked Father God to help me get my thoughts together.
Then the phone rang, so I answered it. Then I got a text - which told me to look at my email - which I did. Then something else came up and I got into a conversation, got distracted. and now here I am again, wondering, does this ever happen to you?

I'm sure I can't be alone, and whether you are in school, at work, at home, with family or friends there are always so many things to do, voices to listen to and pressures we face. It seems the pace of life increases, the demands on us grow and maybe we do more but it seems we achieve less. The soundtrack to our lives playing 'I can't get no satisfaction...' Our little world envelopes us in noise and busyness, even when it comes to our relaxation time, even our prayer times.

So. STOP!

Stop with me for a while. In all the busyness there is a voice calling us, God looking on us and longing for us to know Him, longing for us to have this 'real understanding' that the verse above mentions, longing for us to seek Him. Stop with me and think about this.

God looks down on us;
he looks to see if there is anyone with real understanding,
anyone who seeks for God

What does this mean? Is God hiding?
Can I seek God? Am I seeking God?

Look at these verses from The Message translation:

Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him! One of your poets said it well: "We're the God-created.'
(Acts 17:26-28)

Seeking God is something we are made for. Maybe we too easily forget that every worldly thing around us will come to an end, it will fade away, and the one thing that does not fade is the one thing that can really satisfy - finding the presence of God, seeing His power and glory, experiencing His love and being satisfied with Him!

These words from Psalm 63 are a good response; as you read them make them a prayer of your own.

O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

This last verse reminds me of some things Jesus said - He said we 'shall not live on bread alone' - that there are other, more important things than just earning our bread and busying ourselves with this world.

We don't live on bread alone but 'every word that comes from the mouth of God'.
God's words to us are words of life. they give us life. are we hearing them? Are we being sustained by them?

While you've stopped, ask God to meet with you now. Ask Him to speak with you. In the peace, open your heart and know that you are seeking Him. He is near, you can actually find Him. Hear His words of life.

And be satisfied.