×

Inquiring of the Lord

As I listened to the story of Isaac and Rebekah from Genesis 25, I was struck by one particular phrase. They desired a child and when a pregnancy finally occurred, even though they were happy, Rebekah became more and more uncomfortable. Of course, this was before ultrasounds, but even so, she soon realized that she must be carrying twins since she stated that it felt like “the babies jostled each other within her.” (Genesis 25:22 NIV) She wondered why this was happening to her so she went to inquire of the Lord. That is the phrase that caught me. We talk about praying but this was a very specific, deliberate inquiry. I began to wonder if there were other Biblical examples of people in challenging situations who inquired of the Lord.

I found several instances in the books of I and 2 Samuel where David inquired of the Lord concerning battles against their enemies. When God told them to go and how to approach their battles, they were successful.

However, there were also times when the people were disobedient in their lives, work and worship even to the point of sacrificing their own children to appease the “gods”! (Ezekiel 20) Therefore, God refused to listen to their inquiries and certainly would not advise them.

In one specific event I saw how serious God was about His desire that we inquire of Him. “Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance and did not inquire of the Lord, so the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.” (I Chronicles 10:13-14 NIV) God had chosen Saul to be the governmental and spiritual leader of the people. In that role he was to inquire of God only. We are to do the same and God will show us His love!

There is a song by David Crowder called “Oh How He Loves Me” which begins, “He is jealous for me….” This phrase is based on Exodus 20:4-6. Notice, that God is not jealous OF me, but FOR me. Man’s jealousy is born out of anger, weakness and coveting. God’s jealousy is perfect and pure. It is born out of His love and His desire for us to serve Him because He alone is worthy. God loves us so much that He does not want us to give our allegiance to any other but to Him alone for only He can satisfy us. “Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose Name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” (Exodus 34:14 NIV)

Just as in Biblical times, we are still called to inquire of the Lord and learn of His love. “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.” (Psalm 14:2 NIV) By seeking and inquiring of God, we have a promise. “Come near to God and He will come near to you…” (James 4:8 NIV)

Life on this earth is overloaded with wars, earthquakes, fires, floods and events such as our own tragedy on 9/11. Doubt, mistrust and fear fill our lives. Therefore, let us take seriously these examples and admonitions of intentionally inquiring of the Lord through worshipping, seeking, understanding, and drawing near to Him for wisdom and direction in life. Only then will we truly experience His complete love.

Helen McCormack, is author of “Ordinary Life, Extraordinary God” that contains about 1/3 of the devotionals she’s written for the Minot Daily News over the last 20+ years. This book is available online or by contacting her at Jesusisthereason01@gmail.com.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

[vivafbcomment]

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today