Hard

He looks deeply into the heart and sees our motives and intentions. And when He sees a true servant, He smiles.

He makes the confusing clear and the complex simple. He sums up the entire Old Testament with these two commands. Now all that’s left is the application.

Here’s the question. As God looks for someone to build up the wall and stand before Him in the gap, whom will He find? Here’s the bigger question - will He find you?

As believers, our purpose is to do great things for God. Our ambition should be to follow hard after Him.

He’ll carry you. This path is the good way. Walk in it and find rest for your soul.

The man after God’s own heart knew his share of difficult times. David experienced disappointment and discouragement firsthand. He wrote of his hard times openly and often in the psalms. But David also knew that God never wastes our time.

Do you have any walls that need to be collapsed in your life? It’s very possible you won’t find a successful strategy online or in a bestselling “How To” book. Block out some time, and openly talk to the Lord about all the things keeping you from following hard after him. Believe me, he is an expert at breaking down walls. 

How about you? What are you learning about God and yourself on this journey? Are you thinking great thoughts of God? Is your energy to follow hard after Him increasing? Are you becoming bolder in telling others about Him? Are you finding contentment in Him alone? Packer’s words describe Joseph. Do they describe you?

In our busy lives, it’s hard for some people to make room for Jesus. They keep him at a distance. The things of life fill their hearts with temporary satisfaction. But sooner or later temporal things fail to satisfy. The heart of the person who makes room for Jesus is filled, changed, and transformed.