Do you seriously want God’s best for you?

Do you really want the best?

2 Chronicles 14:1-6

We begin the “How to live the life you were created for” series today by looking at the life of Asa, King of Judah.

You were created to walk with God in the garden in the cool of the day.

Asa had peace for his reign because the Lord gave him rest on every side.

God did this because he Asa commanded the people to seek the Lord.

It’s a clear theme in 2 Chronicles that when the king and people sought God, they found Him and had peace and prosperity. They got the life they were created for.

When they didn’t all kinds of terrible things happened.

The only way we can get the life we were created for is to seek the Lord.

For the rest of 2014 we’re going to look at what it means to seek the Lord.

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Asa:
built up the towns
fortified the cities
had an army of 300,000 infantry and 280,000 archers

Ethiopia came to attack with an Army of “Thousands upon thousands” – some translations translate that as “a million”. However big it was, Asa felt completely helpless with his army of over half a million.

Read 2 Chronicles 14:11-15

They had a situation where they saw themselves as powerless.

 

They called out to God.
He did the work.
They went from being plundered to getting plunder.

How many of us need that in our lives?

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We need to realize the power of calling out to God, the power in seeking God. It’s not that we can do more. It’s not that we can do it in our strength. It’s not the size of our army. It’s not the strength of our horse. It’s God being found when we call out to Him.

When they got back to Jerusalem…

Read 2 Chronicles 15:1-2

Take note:
The Lord is with us, when we’re with him.
When we seek him we’ll find him.
If we don’t seek him…take note of that prophetic warning for now..

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Read 2 Chronicles 15:3-7

How did Asa respond to this prophecy? v. 8

He “took courage”
he removed idols from the high places
he repaired the altar of the Lord
he called an assembly to seek the Lord

Seeking the Lord can be an event, but it is more of a lifestyle.

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How can we seek the Lord?

8 Ways to Seek the Lord

1. Think good. Isaiah 55:6-7
2. Speak good. Psalm 34:14
3. Do good. Psalm 34:15, Psalm 24:4-6
4. Trust God. Psalm 24:4-6
5. Obey God. Zephaniah 2:3
6. Pray to God. Jeremiah 29:12-14
7. Serve God wholeheartedly. 1 Chronicles 28:9
8. Live Humbly. Zephaniah 2:3

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You can seek God in an event. But seeking God is a lifestyle.

These same commands are with us in the New Testament. It’s how His children are to live.

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It’s what we are created for.

Read 2 Chronicles 15: 10-15

Two things happening here:
They gave God the firstfruits of their plunder
They used the blood of sheep and goats and cows to cover their sins so they could seek God.

The question I have for you is this:

Do you really want God’s best for your life?

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God’s best disrupts your comfort levels.
God’s best challenges you to repent and return to your first love.
God’s best requires a commitment on our part.

“Seek me and live…” Amos 5:4

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