Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah, the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 2 Chronicles 15:1-2 NASB
As a child, I liked to play hide and go seek. I preferred to be one of the ones hiding because I enjoyed the challenge of finding a good hiding spot. In reading this passage, I realized that I lived a large part of my adult life playing hide and go seek with God. I loved him and wanted him to help me in times of trouble, but when I wanted to do what I wanted to do, I would tend to run away and try to hide. Of course, that would lead to chaos and turmoil in my life and I would cry out to Him and seek Him and find Him. Then once He helped to get my life back in order I would slip away to another hiding spot and the game would resume. I learned about 10 years ago that this game was getting old and the only way I wanted to live my life was close to Him. I finally realized that I needed to follow Him and follow Him closely.
Now as you read through the books of first and second Chronicles, you are introduced to many kings. Many chapters begin with the kings name and whether or not he followed the Lord. 2 Chronicles 14:1 says that “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord.” You see these kings are leaders and what they do and how they live not only impacts them, but it impacts those under them. It has an impact on those that follow them and submit to their ways.
When you watch children play, you can usually spot which ones are born leaders. These children will usually determine what games are to be played. They are usually the captains that pick the teams. When we grow up, we are all leaders in some way. We may influence our co-workers or our friends. We influence our family. We influence those around us. So, we have to decide if we will be a positive or a negative influence. It’s pretty simple, actually. Just as our scripture passage says, God gives us the choice. He is with us when we choose to be with Him (James 4:8, Exodus 33:14). When we seek Him, we will find Him. God is not choosing some super secret hiding place. He is ready and waiting for us to come to Him (Jeremiah 23:23-24). If we forsake God, he will forsake us (Romans 1:21-25).
So, I ask you, today, are you playing games with God? I have been there, done that and got the t-shirt. I have a great deal of experience in that area and let me tell you, I am glad that my game playing days are over.
I want to dwell in God’s presence. I want to please Him. I want to have a good, solid relationship with my savior, Jesus Christ. I don’t want my sin to separate me from Him any longer. I don’t want to try to hide from Him and I certainly don’t want to forsake Him. I want the peace that passes all understanding that is promised in Philippians 4:7. I have learned that if I stay close to God, I can have that peace. God is faithful to give us what He has promised. The Bible is filled with many wonderful promises, but we must seek Him. God will not force Himself or His ways upon us. We have a choice to make.
When you are in sin, it seems like such a tough decision. But I know this from experience, once you let go and let God into your life, you realize it is a no brainer.
Today is my Dad’s birthday. He would have been 91 years old today. He died at the age of 85. Seeking God and finding Him drastically changed my Dad’s life for the better. My dad got saved at the age of 80. I thank God for answering those prayers. I miss my dad terribly, but I have comfort in knowing that he is in the safety of God’s arms and I know that I will see him again someday. It’s never too late my friend.
Have you been playing games with God? If so, know this, you are playing a game that you just can’t win. The devil may try to convince you that you can be victorious, but the devil is a liar. Turn to God and get on His winning team. You won’t regret it!
Have a great day!