{"id":1043,"date":"2010-02-28T03:01:27","date_gmt":"2010-02-28T03:01:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-85.html"},"modified":"2010-02-28T03:01:27","modified_gmt":"2010-02-28T03:01:27","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-85","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-85.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seek the Lord<\/h3>\n

READ Psalm 105:1-45<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Search for the LORD and for his strength;
\ncontinually seek him.<\/p>\n

Psalm 105:4<\/a><\/p>\n

Psalm 105 calls God\u2019s people to give him thanks and praise in response to his \u201cwonders\u201d (105:5). The bulk of the Psalm highlights God\u2019s special work with the Israelites, beginning with the covenant with Abraham and focusing on the exodus from Egypt and movement to the Promised Land.
\nVerse 4 urges us to pay attention to God in a particular way: \u201cSearch for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him.\u201d The Hebrew verbs translated here as \u201csearch\u201d and \u201cseek\u201d are similar in meaning. \u201cSearch\u201d (darash<\/em>) suggests care and intentionality in the process of looking for something, while \u201cseek\u201d (baqash<\/em>) implies eagerness and desire. Thus Psalm 105:4 could be paraphrased, \u201cCarefully search for the LORD and his strength; continually and eagerly seek him.\u201d
\nHow do we seek the Lord? What does this mean for those of us who are already in covenant relationship with him? In part, seeking God is a matter of paying attention. We find this nuance in the translation of Psalm 105:4 found in The Message<\/em>: \u201cKeep your eyes open for GOD, watch for his works; be alert for signs of his presence.\u201d If we\u2019re seeking God, then we are watching for him and his work each day as we go about our business. We pay attention to him from the moment we awake to the moment we close our eyes at night.
\nSeeking the Lord also involves living intentionally with reliance upon him. We are to search for \u201chis strength\u201d by calling out to him for help and allow his Spirit to guide and empower us. We seek the Lord when we desire to honor him with all of our lives, not just the obviously religious stuff. Yes, to be sure, we seek God by praying, reading Scripture, gathering with other believers for worship, and joining in the work of the church. But we are to seek the Lord \u201ccontinually,\u201d according to Psalm 105. When we\u2019re in the classroom or the boardroom, when we\u2019re chatting with our friends or deliberating with our colleagues, we seek the Lord by being open to his guidance, wisdom, and strength. The very act of seeking God honors him, giving him rightful place as Lord of our lives. It also enables us to live for his purposes, advancing the presence of his kingdom.
\nQUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION<\/strong>: How do you seek the Lord? What would it mean for you to seek God throughout the day today? What might help you to do this?
\nPRAYER<\/strong>: Dear Lord, when I seek you, when I listen for you, when I desire to honor you with every part of my life, it just feels right. It\u2019s as if my soul knows that I am fulfilling my rightful purpose in life. How wonderful it is to seek you!
\nThere are times, however, as you know better than I, when I seek you irregularly, or maybe not at all. I can rely on my own wisdom. I can desire my own glory. I can easily want to do things my own way. Forgive me, Lord, when I fail to seek you.
\nHelp me, by your Spirit, to seek you carefully. May I learn to pay attention to you throughout the day, always being open to the still, small voice of your Spirit.
\nHelp me to seek you eagerly. Stir up in me a great desire for you. No matter what I\u2019m doing or where I am, may I seek you with my whole heart.
\nTo you be all the glory! Amen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

<\/a>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?\u00a0 <\/strong>
\nHere’s how . . . . <\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling of Our Daily Work <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>), a wonderful website about work and God<\/em>. You can read my Daily Reflections<\/a> there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox<\/a> each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Seek the Lord READ Psalm 105:1-45 \u00a0Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him. Psalm 105:4 Psalm 105 calls God\u2019s people to give him thanks and praise in response to his \u201cwonders\u201d (105:5). The bulk of the Psalm highlights God\u2019s special work with the Israelites, beginning with the covenant with Abraham and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1043"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1043\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}