Seek the Lord When Afraid

 January 18, 2024

Thursday

Psalm 34:4 (NASB 2020) 4 I sought the Lord and He answered me, And rescued me from all my fears.

I read this scripture and want to run to the result rather than the process. I always want to be rescued before I seek the Lord. But that’s not how it goes. I seek the Lord first.

Isn’t that what we hear in the New Testament. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” The first act is to seek the Lord.

Wouldn’t it be great if this was like a phone call that was answered instantly? The fact that the Lord doesn’t always respond quickly (by our standards) causes us to quit seeking Him. We live in the fast lane today. We have packages that at one time took weeks to arrive delivered in one day. We get upset if the restaurant takes longer than fifteen minutes to serve our food. Why should God take longer? 

The truth is that I sometimes need to wait. Faith is found in waiting. It is strengthened in the silent moments when there is no word from God. You would think that I would learn after some time. I don’t need the fears while I wait for His rescue. He has never failed me. Why should I think He is failing me now?

So, I seek the Lord. I pray. I read His word. I am around spiritual people to whom I am sure God speaks. I listen with my spirit to hear His Spirit. We make the connection and my fears subside.

The rescue may not come when I demand it. It may not be the rescue I have chosen but it is a definite rescue that eliminates my fears of loss. Sometimes it takes me a little while to recognize that His rescue was better than the one I had chosen. Since I know that it always is from past experience, I do not fret the rescue that God sends.

Sometimes a scripture comes to us when we don’t need it at that moment (or at least, we don’t think we need it). Sometimes God draws us to a scripture to prepare us for something that is coming. Maybe something is about to happen which would normally shake us to our bones. But knowing this, we will seek Him now before the moment comes.