From His Heart - Week of Dec. 22
HIDE & SEEK
Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him. Matthew 2:2
Recently, I read about a skeleton found in the attic of an old dormitory at Texas A&M University. The skeleton was in a crouched position, found behind some old filing cabinets. After some research university officials found out that skeleton was the remains of Ralph Schmidtt, the Hide and Seek champion from 1949. I think old Ralph may have carried the game a bit too far, don’t you?
Seriously, do you remember playing Hide and Seek as a kid? I sure do. Growing up with three sisters and two brothers, we played that game a lot. It was great fun… especially when you were “it” and finally found someone. The game lost its luster if all of the hiders were like old Ralph – impossible to find.
FINDING THE LORD
Did you know that God likes to play Hide and Seek? He hides and wants us to seek after Him… but He purposely does not hide all that well. You see, He wants us to find Him. He says in Jeremiah 29:13, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
The magi (wise men in Matthew 2) traveled many miles seeking the King of the Jews. Some suppose that these men came from Babylon and traveled as far as 1000 miles to see Jesus and worship Him. When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were told that the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem, only five miles to the south.
Amazingly, as they departed for the last five miles of their 1000 mile trek, not one scribe or Pharisee or chief priest or religious leader even bothered to come with them and check out their story. Their long awaited Messiah was supposedly born, and not one person joined the search. Why not? They were too busy “doing church” and going about the demands of their lives to take the time to go five miles to Bethlehem. They were too busy to seek Him… and after all, they did not really believe they would find Him anyway… so why bother?
TOO BUSY?
Are you too busy to seek Him? Do you think it is a waste of time and an exercise in futility? Nothing could be further from the truth.
Jesus wants you to seek Him with all your heart and start making Him the priority of your life. He wants you to start your day in His Word. He wants you to call Him up in prayer upon awakening… and then never hang up the line (that is what it means to pray without ceasing). He wants you to search for Him like you would search for a valuable diamond lost in your house.
If you will seek Him like that, you will find Him. He wants you to find Him. Imagine that… finding the great God of the universe who has all power and loves you with all His heart.
May you find this Christmas, not the gift under the tree, but the God who hung on a tree just for you!!
Love,
Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
Telephone: 903.838.8329
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Jeff Schreve is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas. He and his wife Debbie have been married for almost 20 years and are blessed with three wonderful girls.
Jeff began From His Heart Ministries, a radio and television ministry, in January of 2005. This ministry is completely listener/viewer supported. It continues only through the faithful and generous gifts of people like you. Pastor Jeff takes no salary from this ministry.
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"Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works with us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21
