We are living through a very critical time but let me encourage you: the more difficult the situation, the greater the Power of God! In Deuteronomy 4, the Lord says to the Israelites that they will be scattered among the nations and be left few in number (v27) - isn’t that the situation we are in today? The church has been scattered; we are unable to fellowship like we did at the beginning of the year; we now worship alone at home; for the churches which have reopened, the attendance is few in number. But God says in v29, ‘If from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.’ My greatest experiences with God have not been in conferences and church services, but rather in the midst of my problems. Yes, it is wonderful to be in church with the worship, but it is not the church atmosphere which causes miracles, but rather a heart seeking after God wherever they are. Afterall, Jesus healed so many when they called out to Him from the side of the road, in the busyness and the noise of the pressing crowd.
Some years ago I was invited to speak at a conference. The theme was how can we know God, how can we come into His presence. Most of the speakers were saying you need to have holiness, quietness and peace. I caused come revolution because I began preaching from this passage in Deuteronomy 4.29, ‘If from where you are…’ When you are in tribulation, when all the problems of life have come on you; you will find God if you search for Him from just where you are!
Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:12-13, NKJV)
In a TV interview in America, a well-known healing evangelist was asked what reason he could give for the miracles he sees in his meetings. His reply was that it was the atmosphere, the large numbers in the auditorium, the beautiful music and the awe-inspiring presence of the Holy Spirit. The same people asked me the identical question. I remember the dusty stadiums in Russia and Ukraine, broken seats, poor amplification, thousands of people fighting to be touched by the Lord, crowds out of control, cries of desperation, shouts of despair. Helpless people, dirty bandages, open wounds, stinking diseases. The middle-aged looking so old because of their poverty and suffering. No medicines, no available doctors or hospitals. Over the stadium such a desperate sense that without this Jesus, if He is not alive, unless someone knows Him, there is no hope. My answer was this: the reason I see so many miracles is the desperate need of the people to find Jesus - and the desperation of Jesus to find the people who really want Him.
I want you to reach out to Jesus today; seek Him from where you are; and when you do, you will find He is not far from you.
…God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any of us. (Acts 17:27, NIV)
‘Adoration’ used by kind permission of www.vinesong.com