“Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He uttered, O offspring of Abraham, His servant, children of Jacob, His chosen ones!” Psalm 105:4-6
How well do you follow commands?
How do you choose which commands to follow since we just aren’t willing to follow every command?
Well, this is the truth: We do NOT have the option, for the Lord’s commands bring Him glory and strengthen our faith so that we can honor Him and be a blessing to others. So…let us, “Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His presence continually!”
Someone wisely observed that “It is difficult to climb to the summit of the mountain when you are always looking over your shoulder.” That is certainly true, but taking a look back (when you are at the campsite later) can be and is beneficial to remember exactly where you came from and how we got “here”. That is why we are commanded to remember all that God has done: His care, His provision, His protection, and His many gracious answers to our prayers. He loves us…He cares for us…He is always with us! Do you remember?
However, it is important to point out that taking a look back is not the same thing as walking backward. We cannot go back, nor should we want to. God is moving us forward into His perfect plan and purpose for our lives. We must always treat the past as a school; we are to learn the lessons from our past but not live in our past. I meet far too many people — believers and unbelievers alike — who live in the past, which inevitably prohibits any measurable forward progress. For as believers we are to be looking forward…seeking “Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His presence continually! …until He returns!
So take some time today to look back at what God has done and is doing. You only have to look around you. I pray that your looking back, in that moment, brings to mind God’s faithfulness, His discipline, His mercy and His love for He delights in us and seeks us that we might continually be seeking Him…looking forward… until He returns.
For those of us who have gone through this last Advent Season reading the Jesse Tree, we have looked back and seen firsthand, through God’s Word, how God prepared the world for Jesus’ coming the first time…which proves that God keeps His promises. To be sure, any look back must be brief if we are to begin making forward progress throughout 2026. But make no mistake; this too is a command, “Remember the wondrous works that He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He uttered, O offspring of Abraham, His servant, children of Jacob, His chosen ones!” This is who we are …we are the offspring of Abraham who have been given God’s covenantal promise, children of Jacob…His chosen Ones…chosen before the foundations of the world to be His.
Because God has been and is continually faithful we can and must…“Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His presence continually!” God’s commands MUST be followed for His glory and our growth in grace. I pray that as we actively seek Him, His strength and His presence we will be able to walk through whatever God has planned for us in 2026…together… for His glory! Soli Deo Gloria
God Bless y’all!
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
