Seek God, Not Self

Psalm 91 (selected verses)

1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

This verse takes on a new meaning today as I contemplate a shadow. A shadow is a place to get away from the heat of the sun. To stay in a shadow, one must remain close to the object casting it.

God is my place of safety from the heat—the troubles—of this world. I must remain close to Him to stay in His protective shadow, where He shields me from life's burdens. There, I can rest and stop working so hard to protect myself, solve my problems, and chase after peace.

2 This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him.

In God's shadow, I am safe.

I can trust Him to care for me and protect me. This world will keep spinning and presenting problems, but God is the unchanging Rock in whose shadow I can remain.

I can trust God.

I can trust God.

I can trust God.

4 He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

God is like a mother hen, covering me beneath her wings. There I am sheltered and guided. I go where He leads. I am protected, and once again, I can trust Him.

His faithful promises are my armor. They are my protection.

God is a safe place.

Hebrews 13:6

"Because of this promise, we may boldly say, 'The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?'"

I can trust God.

John 14:1

"Jesus said, 'Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me.'"

God's promises are my protection. He promises life.

Matthew 16:24–25

"If you want to follow Me, you must deny yourself the things you think you want. You must pick up your cross and follow Me. The person who wants to save his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life for Me will find it."

It is when I stop pursuing life and start pursuing God that I find life. Pursuing this world leads to death.

Jesus is life.

John 14:6

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Jesus is. He is not becoming, as we are. He is life.

Being is a present identity. It is a state of existence. Jesus is permanent, present, and eternal.

Becoming is what humans do. We are always becoming something. But in Jesus Christ, we are invited into His way of being. Anyone who follows Jesus knows this is a battle. Our human nature struggles against our identity in Christ. But as we trust Him, seek Him, and surrender to Him, we become more like Him.

Becoming is a process. An evolution. And becoming can become a trap. If we are focused primarily on becoming someone, we easily fall into the exhausting work of trying to transform ourselves through our own effort. It is a frustrating, never-ending pursuit.

How different it is to simply be in God's presence—to seek Him, remain in His shadow, and trust Him.

It is a life of closeness.

A life of nearness.

A life of surrender to the One who knows best, knows the way, and knows where we should go.

So seek God.

Seek God.

And—again—seek God!

Allow Him to make the adjustments in your mind, body, and spirit. Bring your work, your worries, your plans, your thoughts—everything—to Him every single day.

This is trust.

This is saying, God knows best, and I do not.

I give up.

I give in.

When will we finally stop fighting?

When will we stop believing we know better?

What if the life we've been searching for has been waiting all along—in the shadow of the Almighty?