Love and Joy in Seeking Him First

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
Mark 12:30 ESV

So many of us at one point or another have searched or are still searching for something to fill a hole within us. Some try to fill it with something or someone to complete them and make them happy or feel accepted. Even when they think they have found this thing or person there’s still something still yearning deep within their soul and gut. A deep yearning that could never be quenched by anything or anyone in this fallen world.

That one thing we all deeply yearn for is Jesus and a relationship with God. It seems like everyone is striving to achieve a state of happiness, yet they fail to realize happiness is only temporary but true joy that is found in and with our Lord and savior is forever, it’s unshakable.

Many people try and try to find and base their happiness and place in this life in so many things whether it be the right job, the right spouse, a certain goal they want to achieve, money or even in attaining material things. They strive towards these things and when achieved they are still not satisfied. Their temporary happiness has dissipated and gone away. They then try to obsess about achieving something else to replace what they thought they wanted in yet another trivial pursuit that will yet again end up in failure, dissatisfaction and disappointment.

Solomon had everything that a man could ever yearn for and desire, yet he deemed everything “meaningless, a chasing after the wind”. In the book of Ecclesiastes, he believed that wisdom, pleasures, folly, toil, advancement, riches, etc., were all meaningless. He concludes the book by saying to fear God and keep His commandments for that is the duty of all mankind (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

In all things we must try to not be led by the flesh but led by the Spirit. We have to put our body and soul (mind, will and emotions) under the subjection of the Spirit of God. When we do this, only then can we find true long-lasting joy and satisfaction. Romans 8:5-8 tells us we are to set our minds on the things of the Spirit to attain life and peace but to set your minds on the flesh is death. It also states to set your mind on the flesh you become hostile to God, and you won’t be able to please Him.

James 4:4 shows us that whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. We must remember our citizenship is in heaven we are here only for a short time, not to accomplish our own selfish desires but God’s will, plan, destiny and purpose for our lives.

Don’t allow anything or anyone in this fallen earth to have any control over you, whether it be your body or soul (mind, will or emotions). Your happiness is also not others responsibility.

I heard a saying once “trust God completely and man discreetly”.

Jesus on His part did not entrust himself to them, because He knew all people (John 2:24), He examines our hearts and motives. Put your hope, trust, love and faith not in man but in our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, He will never fail you and He is always faithful. He is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19), everything He says will come to pass and His promises are yes and in Him, amen, to the glory of God (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Therefore, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). When you put Him first, surrender your will for His will in your life and you delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4), and all shall be added on.

We seek Him first by reading the Bible, walking in fellowship with Him daily involving Him in everything we say, do or think. Through this we get to know who we are in Christ, the way in which we should live that’s pleasing to Him, how precious we are to Him and appreciate more all the Father and Jesus did for us just so that we can be reconciled with Him again. With those truths held deep within our hearts overflowing love and joy flows like a river within and through us to those around us.

When we seek Him first, we experience what true love and joy is. We draw closer to the one who is love, for God is love and anyone who does not love does not know God (1 John 4:8).

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). Which is exactly what Jesus did for us, there’s no greater, truer or purer love than His love for us. God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

Neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).

The Lord is our shepherd there’s nothing I shall want (Psalm 23:1). With Him we have all we need provision, healing, deliverance, protection, love, joy, blessings, acceptance and the list goes on and on. Let us try to live more in the present, grateful for where we are and what we have, as having nothing, yet possessing everything (2 Corinthians 6:10).

Without Him we are nothing but with Him we have everything and with Him nothing is impossible. Ask the Holy Spirit today to help give you the discipline to set aside time to fellowship and develop the most important relationship you could ever have, with the one who loves you dearly and sacrificed everything to be close to you, our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Say this prayer below and get started!

Dear heavenly Father I come to you today to thank you for loving me even at times when I don’t deserve it. I repent of all my sins, and I fully commit myself to you and surrender all that I am to You. Jesus, You are my Lord and Savior. I especially surrender my will for Your will because You know me better than I know myself, for you are my Creator, You know what is best for me. I delight myself in You and Your love, for no greater love will I ever experience than Yours. Help me Holy Spirit to not be fleshly minded but to set my mind on the things of the Spirit. Help me to trust You completely and man discreetly. Help me to seek You first and put You first in all I say, do and think. Help me Lord to stop thriving to attain trivial things of this world but to focus on You, to seek You first, placing You at the center of my life. Help me Lord to be more disciplined in setting aside time to read my Bible and spend quiet time with you in order to develop our relationship. Grant me that joy that’s only found with You, deep down in my heart, for the joy of the Lord is my strength (Nehemiah 8:10). I ask all this in Jesus’ name, Amen!