Monday, June 9, 2008

Desperately Seeking Christ

Blessings to you this Monday! I have some great things to share with you so I’ll get right to it!

I had a sweet, sweet time with the Lord as I worked through my homework over the weekend. You may or may not know my office Bible study is working through “He Speaks to Me” by Priscilla Shirer (daughter of Tony Evans). It is designed to teach how to posture ourselves that we might discern the voice of God in our lives. The messages are so RICH with insight, it’s hard to even summarize them for you. I can’t recommend it more highly.

While I don’t want to give too much away for those who may want to do this study, I really feel the Lord wants me to share a little about what I've been learning the last couple of days.

Our current chapter teaches that we need to have a Sold-Out Hunger for Christ -- to be desperate for His manifest presence. Among several illustrations, the one that spoke to me most powerfully was Bartimeus. You may remember he was the blind man who sat at the roadside begging for healing as Jesus passed by. He called out loudly to Jesus, asking him to have mercy on him. Everyone around him told him to be quiet…more to the point, that Jesus didn’t have time for him. Bartimeus was undeterred. He called out “all the more” for Jesus to have mercy on him. She went on …imagine what it must have been like for Bartimeus, when the people around him (who had just scolded him for calling out to Jesus), began to whisper amongst themselves “He’s stopping, Jesus is stopping…” Jesus indeed stopped and proceeded to restore sight to the eyes of a man who wanted to see His Lord. Bartimeus immediately began praising God, as did all the people who just moments before had been trying to silence him.

She also shared about the woman with the issue of blood. Imagine the anguish that must have driven her to push through the crowds, putting aside the scorn of the people and her physical weakness, daring to hope to receive healing from the Savior. Like Bartimeus, this woman was desperate.

She asked "What is keeping us from the manifest presence of God?" Is it fear? Is it a difficult job? Financial difficulty? A lonely marriage? Discouragement? Don’t let that stand in your way – rather call out all the more! We have access to the Manifest Presence of God! He tells us in Matthew 5…blessed are those who hunger and thirst! Are you hungry? Are you desperate? He makes himself available and attainable! He promises in Deuteronomy 4:29, we’ll find Him, when we seek with all of our hearts!


So how does this find you today -- hungry, thirsty, desperate? You and I both know seeking for anything (status, wealth, approval) other than Christ will leave us only empty and longing for more. Join me today in praying with desperation for the manifest presence of God!

There is more to share, but I'll save the rest for tomorrow...(make sure to stop back!)

Blessings,
Tracy

11 comments:

Jill said...

Tracy, this is my first time stopping by. You have excited me so much I want to run right over to Lifeway.com and buy the study! Thank you for the encouragment.

Laurie Ann said...

Tracy, what a blessing your post was this morning. I will definitely join you in praying with desperation for the manifest presence of God.

Anonymous said...

you've got me thinking.. what am i? desperate is probably most accurate these days!

Mrs.Naz@BecomingMe said...

Thank you Tracy. This was just what I needed to read today

Tricia said...

Thanks so much for sharing what God is teaching you, and I join you in praying for God to make me more desperate for Him!

I may just have to go get that Bible Study and work through it this summer, it sounds wonderful!

Joyfulsister said...

Wow it sounds like an awesome study, During my journey through chemo I had one of the most intimate moments with the Lord that I ever experienced in my life. a big part of it had to do with being still and listening, I don't how to describe it but during my desperate soul cries he spoke to my heart, spirit, and soul in a way I will never forget.. I'll be back to read more.

Blessings Lorie

Joyful said...

Tracy, your post makes me think of a beautiful chorus we sing in church, "This is the air I breathe".

"This is the air I breathe
This is the air I breathe
Your holy presence
Living in me

This is my daily bread
This is my daily bread
Your very word
Spoken to me

And I ... I'm desparate for you
And I ... I'm lost without you

And I ... I'm desparate for you
And I ... I'm lost without you
I'm lost without you
I'm lost without you"

Oh to truly be that desparate for God, that hungry, that thirsty.

Great post.
Practicing His Presence,
Joy

Nancie said...

Tracy,

Thanks for sharing this encouraging post. May God draw us nearer to Himself and enable us to know His presence and love always.

Thanks for your prayers and encouragements. Thank God for strengthening me as I wait upon Him daily. Take care!

godlover said...

Dynamite, Tracy, that sounds like a wonderful study, wish I could study it along with you. But I need to go dig out my Streams in the Desert I've got somewhere around this house and start using it in the mornings (I just commented on someone's blog that I would do that with her!) I always seem to spread myself too thin. I'm always praying with somebody, reading something with somebody, or studying something with somebody. But we're here to encourage each other to be in the Truth. Every. Single. Day! I'll be sure to check back tomorrow to see what else you add. Thanks for sharing!

Marj
http://gdlvr.blogspot.com

Susan said...

Wow Tracy,

This was really great!! Thanks for sharing this with us. I will be back tomorrow to read more.

By the way, I got to see her speak with Beth Moore last summer. Oh my, she was soooooooooo good!

Blessings, and thanks for stopping by♥

Lelia Chealey said...

Tracy,
You have my full attention & I can't wait to do this study!!! Thanks for recommending it & sharing it. I will have to do it on my YES to GOD Tuesday studies..perhaps this fall & maybe you can "co-post" with me on it! :)