# Seek the Lord

Category: Salvation & Gospel
Key Passage: Psalm 34:10
Speaker: Paul Chisagr
Date: June 7, 2024

Psalm 34 in God’s word. We’re going to read just one verse: verse number 10. Psalm 34, verse number 10. Would you please stand as we read God’s word together? I had the privilege of being in Florida with family.

I said ten somewhere along the line. I don’t know what it was about. I do remember they made fun of my Tennessee hillbilly accent. What about that? So I had to rebuke those Floridians down there, you know, and teach them how to talk down there.

Psalm 34, verse number 10 of God’s Word. And I’ve got to find it myself. The Bible says, “The young lions do lack.”

Now, that’s those that are healthy and agile and strong. The young lions do lack. They don’t get and have everything they need. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger. But they that seek the Lord—and by the way, that’s capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D—that means Jehovah in your King James Bible. Everything about that Bible is important, by the way.

But they that seek the Lord, Jehovah, shall not want any good thing.

And just a couple words: “Seek the Lord.” The Lord really pointed that phrase out to me this week as I read it in other places, many places in the Bible: “Seek the Lord.” Let’s just for a little while. I believe the Lord would have us focus on that this morning.

I see as I’ve looked, and most of you still have your jackets on, but it may be just me: Is it stuffy in here? It’s just me then, right? All right. I was going to have the fans going, but if you’re good, then we’ll move on. Nobody’s up here to smell my bad odor anyway, so we’re good. You know, I mean, we’ll be all right.

Would you pray with me and ask the Lord to speak to hearts? Would you do that?

Lord, thank you. I really believe you laid this on my heart. Lord, I wish—I love it, Lord—if you came and preached, you’d do a better job. Some way, Lord, I do ask that you would get the truth across. Lord, would you make it where it sticks in our heart and our minds, Lord? Father, I want to rightly divide your word, we’ll be honest about it all. Lord, would you just take this truth and just brand it on our hearts, Lord? And you guide in that, Holy Spirit, would you do the work? Thank you for letting me have a little part of your work. And we do love you. Father, I’m asking for that in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

Wednesday nights for almost a whole year long, we’ve been studying on the life of David. By the way, would you put your cell phones and everything up? Let’s listen right up for God’s word and preaching of it.

We’re talking about the life of David, and I’ve learned a lot about David. In fact, I’ll be honest with you, I’ve learned even more about the flaws of David. David was a great man, but he had a lot of flaws. And the more I study, the more I see the flaws that God’s word is very open about, and I appreciate that about the Bible.

But with all David’s flaws, David is still just a greatly blessed man. It’s created this thing in my mind for months and months: What is it about David? Why was it that David, with all his flaws, why did God choose to bless David so greatly?

I did not know this until a recent study this year, but actually the name of David is used more than any other name in all the Bible, even more than the name of Jesus. In fact, the name of David is found in 968 verses in the Bible. David. That name has been used more than any other name in all the Bible. That’s pretty blessed, if you would.

David is known as the greatest king of Israel. Under David, Israel went into what historians call the golden age. Israel became a world power. The borders of Israel were expanded. It was much larger under David than it is today. David was just greatly blessed by God.

In fact, you’ll see movies about what were to and whatnot, and the Nazis would make them wear the Star of David on the flag of Israel. Mission Conference will always have the flag of Israel up with Americans and others. But you’ll see the Star of David. David is known as their great king. He’s their hero, if you will. In fact, one day when Jesus comes back to earth and he sets his throne up, it’ll be an extension of the throne of David. Remember God told David, “Look, your kingdom’s going to be forever.” And the Messiah was of the lineage of the line of David. I mean, just greatly blessed David. More mentioned more times in the Bible than anybody.

He was a great warrior. You remember as just a teenage boy—I mean, probably seventeen. David, when he was seventeen years old, somewhere along that age, we think that’s about right, David killed the giant Goliath. Remember all the military was out there—the special forces, Delta Force, and SEALs? Nobody wanted to take on Goliath. David, a seventeen-year-old boy, he said, “I’ll go do it.” And God blessed David. He killed that big old giant. You know the story of the slingshot. He slung it. Man, hit him in the forehead. Boom, he’s dead, you know.

And David—David actually took the king’s challenge, and he was supposed to go kill a hundred of the enemy. And he actually ended up killing 200 to get the king’s daughter, Michal, in marriage—her hand. David, just a great military man, a great king, and so blessed by God.

And God used David to pen about half—some will say 75, some will say 77—of the Psalms. And there are some of them just debatable. But that longest book of the Bible, 150 chapters of the book of Psalms, we just read a verse out of David. God used David to pen about half of those.

Do you agree with me that David was blessed? Very much. And I thought about, “Lord, why did you bless David so much?” Can I be honest with you? The more I study about David…

It wasn’t that David was flawless. Somebody said, “Well, because he had great courage and he was a mighty warrior.” Yeah, he was that day when he killed Goliath, and at other times. But there are times in the Bible—First Samuel 27—where he said, “Saul’s going to kill me.” And God repeatedly told David, “That’s not true. I’m going to take care of you.” And David backslid. David went over to the enemy’s camp. I’d be like going to Russia or China or somewhere like that right now. And David lived over there for a year and a half.

He went over to Gath—that’s where Saul of Gath—and he served under King Achish, and he followed his directions, the enemy’s direction. In fact, during that time, David went to villages, and he just kind of went through them; he stole, he got everything, and then he killed everybody—men, women, and children—because he didn’t want any eyewitnesses. I don’t know about you, but to me, that’s not a brave man right there. That’s not a man of courage. Y’all with me out there? You don’t believe that? I didn’t make it up. Check it out in the Bible. David had flaws.

Somebody said, “Well, maybe it was because he was a man of integrity.” Can I talk to you a bit about the integrity of David at one point? All the kings were going out to battle. And David said, “I don’t feel like going to fight.” And David stayed at home. They’re out there fighting; David stayed at home. David’s up on the rooftop of the palace there, and he looks out and he sees a woman bathing. And he commits adultery in his heart. Then he goes beyond that; he actually commits adultery with this married lady. And then eventually, he has her husband murdered. Yeah. Not a man of integrity. He should be in prison.

What was it about David? His integrity? Well, I don’t think so. At one point, God said, “David, I don’t want you to number the military. I want you relying on me.” But David numbered the military. God sent a pestilence for three days. Seventy thousand people died. That’s a pestilence. And then God took that thing away in mercy. But I’m talking about that’s because of David’s sin—numbering the people.

Somebody said, “I know why God blessed David. David was a good family man.” David had multiple wives. I’m not saying God liked it, but he did. Here’s the thing about that: You’ve got multiple wives, you’ve got multiple mother-in-laws. My goodness, what’s wrong with the guy, you know? And I’m teasing, of course. But yes, multiple wives. His children fought with one another. In fact, one of his sons committed incest with one of his daughters. It’s in the Bible. Then another brother of that lady murdered another one of David’s sons. Doesn’t seem like a functional family in our day and time, you know what I’m saying? In fact, a little while later on, one of David’s own sons led a rebellion against David, trying to throw him off the throne and trying to kill David. Friend, I think that’s far from a good family man.

What was it? Why was it that God said, “David, I want to bless you”? I don’t know about you, but I’m curious about that. Anybody curious out there about that? I like to know.

Well, I believe Psalm 34 adds a little light in that. Look back at that verse, if you will. Psalm 34, verse number 10. Let’s just look at it briefly, and then we’ll look at a couple of other places about it. Psalm 34, by the way, the one that penned this. If you look at the top of that chapter, it says, “Psalm of David.”

Verse number 10: “The young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.”

Look over, if you will, in First Samuel chapter number 13. This is a key time in David’s life. The king before David was Saul. Saul had backslid, and Samuel the preacher told Saul, “Saul, I’ve selected another man to be king, okay?” And God gives us the reason why he does that. And such great light is shed on why God blessed David in this passage.

In 1 Samuel 13, if you’re there, would you say amen? Good. 1 Samuel 13. Look in verse number 14, if you would. This is Samuel telling Saul why God has chosen someone else.

“But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.”

Did you notice that: “A man after God’s own heart”? Acts 13 tells us the same thing. Here’s the thing about David—that’s what I believe is why God blessed David so greatly. David knew that God blesses the man that seeks the Lord. The phrase that God pointed out: “I want David to be king because that man over there is always seeking after me. He’s trying to get my heart. He’s always seeking the Lord.”

David had flaws all over the place. He was a messed-up person, like all of us are messed-up people. But David had a desire, an intense desire in his heart. He wanted to know God. He was a man that was seeking after God’s own heart. He said, “I want God. I want to know God. I want to walk with God. I desire God. I would like to be after God’s own heart.” God said, “That’s the person I want to bless right there: somebody that seeks the Lord.” That was the heart of David.

Let’s read a couple passages. If you go back over to Psalms, and we’ll just flip through Psalms a little bit. There are so many of them, but let’s just look at a couple of them.

Look in Psalm 63, verse number one: “O God, my God, early will I seek thee? My soul thirsteth for thee. My flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is.” David was hungry for God.

Look over in Psalm 42, verse number one. Psalm 42:1: “As the heart panteth after the water brooks…”

Now, that heart there, it’s not the heart we’re thinking of as far as an organ inside your chest that’s pumping blood; it’s an animal, kind of like a deer. Maybe we have white-tailed deer around here; it’s a little bit different deer, if you will, in the promised land or over in Israel, the Bible land.

Psalm 42:1: “As the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” You see the intensity of David’s heart: “I’ve got to have God.”

Psalm 42, verse number two: “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”

Look over in Psalm 143, verse number six. So many places in Psalms we can look at. Psalm 143, verse number six: “I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee as a thirsty land. Selah.”

Look over, if you will, in Psalms 84. Now, here’s the thing in Psalm 84. There’s a debate about who God used to pen it. Those that believe David is the one who penned it argue that it fits David, because David is always talking about how hungry and thirsty he was for God.

Psalm 84, verse number two: “My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.”

Now, friend, let me just ask you this morning: How hungry are you for God?

Some are spending their life chasing a dollar bill, and some are spending their life chasing God. Which one are you? Some are spending their life chasing after popularity and fame at school, trying to be in the “in” crowd, and some are chasing after God. Which one are you? Some spend their life chasing after things—looking good to everybody else with that car and that house. But some will spend their life chasing after God. That was David. David had that hunger, that thirst. He said, “I want to know God.” God said, “That’s the man I want to bless right there.”

Friend, we can spend our life chasing after so many things, but friend, as Brother John was saying, if you get the Lord, God’s the one that can give you what you need. The young lions, the strong lives, they’ll suffer need, they’ll want, they’ll have a lack of things. But that person that seeks the Lord—God said, “I’ll give you what’s good for you. You won’t want any good things.” By the way, He knows what really is good for you or not.

Young people, there are people that are going to spend their life seeking after relationships. There are going to be young ladies that want a certain guy and a certain relationship and have all that. And many times it ends up in utter failure. But the person that seeks the Lord, God gives a good marriage. He’s the one that does that. Are you seeking the Lord? Are you there when you just have a hunger? You wake up in the night and want to know Him, and you go to sleep thinking about the Lord? Are you there or not? That’s where David was. That’s why God blessed David. God said, “I found a man after my own heart.”

Now, can I be honest with you about myself? I’m there sometimes, and a lot of times I’m not there. Just being honest. Sometimes I think I’m kind of there, and sometimes life just overwhelms me, and I think, “Oh, my goodness, I haven’t prayed in a long time.” David—that’s the thing about David. He just had a thirst that couldn’t be filled, and it was always there.

My old preacher used to talk about, he said that back in the country, you know, everybody had chickens. We don’t have chickens in our church right now. Anybody got chickens in our church? No chickens? We had chickens for a while, and we found out some of those are trooperable to the house. Back in the day, everybody had chickens and everybody had hound dogs, and they didn’t have collars that kept them in the yard, you know. They just roamed the neighborhood. Some of you wiser people know what I’m talking about. They say once that hound dog got the taste of chicken—yeah, those dogs would pluck feathers and spit bones out when it was all done. Once the hound dog in the neighborhood got the taste of chicken, he’s never going to forget that chicken. About the best thing you can do is either tie that dog up or shoot him, because he’s going to be after chickens.

And there’s a man or a lady that gets a real good taste of God. Things come and go, and hungers come and go, but they just always have this insatiable desire, hunger for God. That’s when God blesses us. David had flaws galore, but he always desired God. I wouldn’t say always, but I think probably much more than the average for sure. In God’s opinion, he’s a man after my own heart.

Can I give you a couple of suggestions along that line? Look, if I have a desire for God, that is not from Paul. Because Paul—my human or Adamic nature, they’ll call it—it came from Adam; it is a sinful nature. Now, when I got saved, I got regenerated, born again by the Spirit of God, and He works in your heart, and He is the one that gives you the desire for God. This is a verse: Philippians 2:13, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” So even that will, that desire inside of you, the good ones, that comes from God.

So here’s the thing: There are a lot of times in my life where my desire for God is down here. Maybe I’m just worn out. Maybe I’m preoccupied. Maybe I’m focused on self too much. But here’s the thing: when your desire for God is so small, that’s when you pray. By the way, you’re not going to feel like praying because your desire is low. That’s when you, on purpose during that time, you say, “Hey, Lord, my desire for you is low. Would you increase my desire for you?”

“God, I need to get back to where I ought to be. I’m not after you right now. I’m just kind of after my things.” Whatever it may be, life has a way of distracting you from God. And you must say, “Lord, bring that desire back.” My desire for you is so low. It’s been a long time since I’ve shed a tear. It’s been a long time since I read the Bible and had a desire for you. It’s been a long time since I’ve just spent some time walking and talking with you, right in my car, spending enjoyable time with you. Lord, bring back the desire. If you’re going to be on fire for God over the long haul, you must have a desire for God over the long haul. Lord, bring the desire back. I’d like to be like a man like David, that was a man after God’s own heart.

This is what happened so often: We seek after the blessing instead of the blesser.

Now, here’s the problem with that. If you have half a brain, you realize every good and perfect gift comes from above. And so you seek the Lord. “Lord, I need some financial help.” Well, how many times have we seen someone not saved or backslidden? And they get saved, they get in church, get their lives straightened out. They pray, “Lord, help my finances. We can’t even pay rent.” And they get their lives straightened out. God blesses them. And then after a while, where are they? Out in church, you don’t see them anymore. Because they were seeking the blessing instead of the blesser.

Or maybe somebody says, “Lord, my marriage, my family, my kids—we’ve got to have your blessing. Lord, we’ve got to have your hand on our family.” And that’s the right way to do it. But, friend, then once the kids grow up and get married and move out, we’re in this category. Sometimes we can feel the laxness. We can just kind of relax because the kids are grown. Friend, that would be called us asking for the blessing, but not for the blesser. It’s amazing how many in our age category drop out of church, drop out of service for the Lord.

Friend, so many people spend their life seeking for the blessing. Even if I get caught up and say, “Lord, I want to bless this church, give us the building, give us the land, all the rest of that”—if I am after all that and yet I’m not after the Lord, there’s going to be a flaw in me. Because a lot of things can get the number of people there and the building and all that. You can get a rock band in there and build a church like that. But are you after the blesser or the blessings?

David was a man—I think he was pretty good. God had blessed David. He made him a king. He was wealthy. He was known. He was popular. And yet, in the midst of all those blessings, God just worked in David’s heart. And David said, “Man, Lord, I’ve got to have you. I want you. I’m not after all these luxuries and ease of life. I’m after you, Lord. I want you, Lord.” That’s what God said: “I can bless him. He was a man after God’s own heart.” Are you there? Luxuries of life sure can take us over. Ease of life.

Can I say this? Sometimes it’s good when we find someone to minister to; it’ll help us have a desire for God. Can I confess a little bit? Man, Thanksgiving, we went to Florida. We really suffered for the Lord in Florida. It was a rough job. I tell you what, y’all get your hankies out. I mean, it was tough being down there in 80-degree weather. I tell you what.

We were with family; hadn’t seen many of the family members in three years. And we’re down there in sunny Florida. I was really suffering. I had to go golfing with my son on a really nice golf course down there. It was just sad, folks, I’m telling you. Seeing family, eating pecan pie, pumpkin pie. My sister-in-law hosted us so very, very well. We were down there, and they even got to go fish with my daughter. The Lord blessed me; I even caught a fish! Can you believe that? Brother Fontaine was a little bit in a state of shock. He said, “I can’t believe you weren’t tangling the line up all the time!”

Can I be honest with you? My desire for the Lord was far from where it ought to be. If there was a scale of gauge, probably my desire for the Lord would be way down here. And yesterday, the Lord really hit me upside the head and got me in reality when I’d forgotten someone in the cold before Thanksgiving and someone said, “Hey, this lady’s in the hospital, going to die. Everything we know suggests she’s not safe.”

I was supposed to go see her yesterday. I called some family members, tried to go, but did not get to see her. But in my mind, I said, “Boy, this lady, she’s hanging in the balance, going to hell forever and ever, or heaven forever and ever. If I’m not right with God, how can I handle God on me? Shame on me if I’m going to go witness to her.” Man, that kind of shocked me into reality. But I started saying, “I need the Lord.” I know I got to come in Sunday and teach Sunday school and preach Sunday morning and Sunday night. And you know, half of the people will be sleeping, but the other half will be awake, so I need it. It kind of shocked me into reality: Man, I need the Lord! And my desire for the Lord jumped from here to… I’m not saying that’s the best reason, and I’m just saying that’s what it was. Maybe you need someone you have to minister to. Maybe you need to be looking for someone you are witnessing to, a neighbor or someone.

But friend, I’m saying, pray for it. Study yourself. Watch it when your desire for the Lord is low and say, “Wait, I don’t want to live there. I don’t want that to be the status quo of life. I’m so focused on the luxuries, the fun, the money of life that I’m not desiring God.” God said, “Well, bless David, because he seeks me.”

How can you have that intense desire over the long haul? Pray. Study it when you’re low. Ask God, “Get me back there.”

I really believe God blessed David. God chose to use David. He said it: He’s a man after my own heart. Let me just talk about us getting there. I believe the hurts and the burdens of life might have been one of the driving factors for David to be close to the Lord. I don’t know everything about David. If you’ve been here for a while, you heard me talk about it. But I think David maybe had some family problems. I know when the preacher came and said one of these boys was going to be the next king, David’s dad forgot or did not mention David. David was out there watching the sheep. That doesn’t do a whole lot for your self-esteem, you know, when Dad doesn’t mention you. The preacher had to say, “Hey, we’re not going to eat until you go get the other boy.” And Jesse was like, “Okay, we’ll go get him. Go get David. We can’t eat fried chicken until David gets up here.”

Then remember over there, there are just little glimpses of David. David maybe had some family problems. I don’t know, but remember over there when David was going to fight Goliath, and the oldest brother, Eliab, man, he just went after David: “I know the naughtiness of your heart, you little spoiled brat! Go back home and watch a few sheep.” Well, that was a wonderful relationship.

Saul was David’s mentor—you know, that’s what they’re called in our day and time. David’s hero, his mentor, tried to kill David more than once. How’d that make you feel? Pure hero. Brother Dylan, one of our heroes is a man named Lee Robertson. He’s in heaven. But Brother Dylan loved Lee Robertson. He’s a great, honorable man, a worthy hero. But it would be like Lee Robertson had turned on Brother Dylan, trying to kill him. That’s what happened with David. That would bring some hurt.

David’s wife, Michal, whom David fought the enemy to marry—in some ways, it would kind of be equivalent to his high school sweetheart. There was a point where David was out there worshiping the Lord, and his wife said, “What in the world is wrong with you? You are a crazy nut!” She despised him. To the point that after that was over, David said, “Well, I tell you what, two can play that game.” They never had a physical relationship ever after that. I’m just talking about messed up, if you will.

And yet, I think many of those wounds and those problems and the hurts that were in David—I think those things may have driven him to get to God. I’m amazed that people who have been hurt so greatly, abused, and wounded often say, “I’ve got to have you, God. I don’t know if I can make it without you or not.” It seems like they have it all together, but they say, “God, I can’t make it without you. I’ve got to have you, God. If I’m going to make it through this life and be what I ought to be, I’ve got to have your blessing. I’ve got to have your hand. I don’t want to travel through life without you.” Many times those people that get hurt, they allow that hurt to drive them to God, and they have an intense desire for God.

“Preacher, I can never be used by God greatly; I have a sinful past.” Okay, let that sinful past drive you to God. “Preacher, I don’t have any talent.” Let that lack of talent in your mind drive you to God. “Preacher, I’ve been molested. I’ve been abused in the past in my childhood.” Let all those things drive you: “God, I’ve got to have you.” And those that seek the Lord, they’ll have the good things that God has for them.

You said, “Preacher, it just seems like my life is one problem after another. I get out of one problem and step into another problem. What do we do about all that?” Let that drive you to God. Let that thing in your life be one of those things where you’re just kind of a nut about it: “Man, I’ve got to spend time with God. I’ve got to walk with God. I’m always praying and wanting to be closer to God and seeking His truth and His Spirit speaking.” Be one of those people. Let all those issues in your life drive you after God. Why was it that God chose David? He had a lot of issues, because God said, “That man right there, he’s after my own heart.” And God said, “That’s personal.”

One last thought, and then we’re done. Realize God wants to be sought after. God wants to be sought after. He’s a jealous God. In fact, Exeter says His name is Jealous. His name—that’s one of His titles. His name is Jealous.

Our dog, Dixie. How many of you met Dixie at the church picnic? You know, you’ve seen Dixie before. One of her things she’s into right now is we’ve got some rags. She brings all her toys out in the front yard and doesn’t pick them up. She wants them all scattered out over the front yard so if anybody comes by, your yard looks bad. That’s Dixie.

She’s got these rags out there, and she loves it if you grab a rag and just pull on it, and she’ll be tugging on it; she likes to play tug-of-war. She loves it. And here’s the thing: she’s got all these rags out in the front yard. I’ll come out in the yard, and she’ll run, and she’ll grab a rag, and she’ll run by me with that rag in her mouth, just hoping I’ll try to get that rag.

Here’s the thing: She’ll run fast. I mean, I can’t hardly get it. But if I’m not really ambitious, she’ll slow down. She really will. And she’ll get close enough where I can just happen to get the rag. Because the honest truth is, she wants me to get that back. If you’re pulling real hard and you get it from her, and then once she gets it back, sometimes she’ll stay away for a little while where you can’t get it. But eventually, she’ll make it way back where you can get it.

And God’s like that. God wants you to seek after Him. By the way, God will make it where you can find Him. He’ll slow down, if you will.

Can I say this: If you’re not a born-again Christian, if you don’t know for sure you’re going to heaven, it’s not even a matter of you having to seek after God; God has gone and He’s sought after you. If you’re not saved this morning, the fact that you’re hearing the message means God’s over here; He’s seeking for you. And if you’re not a child of God on your way to heaven, God is intentionally seeking after you. In fact, He sends the Spirit inside, knocking on your heart’s door, saying, “Hey, why don’t you just receive what God’s trying to give to you?”

Salvation is not really a whole lot of you seeking after God; it’s God seeking after you. But once you are saved—those Christians—they just seek the Lord. They have a heart, they have a desire. It just seems like that hole in the heart that is God-sized. They don’t want anything else to fill it up; they just want to seek the Lord. Those are the ones that God says, “Hey, they’re after my heart.”

You say, “What do you mean about God slowing down, letting you catch the rag?” Even when you sin and mess up, God says, “Hey, come over here, confess it. I’ll be faithful. I’ll be just and forgiving and cleanse.” He slows down, lets you catch Him.

Would you look back one more time in our text verse, Psalm 34? Psalm 34, verse number 10. One more time. Back over there. We’re done. Psalm 34. He said, “Preacher, are you circling the airport? Are you about to land?” We’re about to land. Amen.

Psalm 34. Here it is. Our text verse, Psalm 34, verse number 10: “The young lions do lack and suffer hunger.” Can I just paraphrase that for you a little bit? The talented. Those who have it all together. Those who have money, those who have prestige, those who have maybe wealthy mom and dad, whatever—the young lions do lack and suffer hunger. But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

Two people in this verse: people who are spending their life seeking things, spending their life seeking relationships, things, luxury, ease of life, whatever may be—they’ll end up lacking. They won’t have it all. And then the other person is those that spend their life seeking Him. They just have a desire for God. It trumps everything in their life. “I just got to have God. I want to know God. I want to walk with Him. I want to experience Him. I’m thirsty for Him. I’m hungry for Him. Nothing in life satisfies like God. I’ve got to get to God. I’ve got to be alone with God. I’ve got to know God.” Those are the ones He gives whatever is good for them. He gives it to them.

Would you bow your heads and close your eyes, please?

Our heads are bowed and eyes are closed. If you hear this morning and you said, “Preacher, the honest truth is I’ve never been saved.” There’s never been a time in your life when you look back to when you said, “That’s when I settled it. I know I was saved; I’m going to heaven. I put all my faith in Jesus.” You don’t know that.

Friend, this is the most important question I asked this morning: It is either heaven or hell you’re facing. You say, “I don’t know that I go to heaven.” Friend, if you’re not going to heaven, there’s only one other place. I love you, and I mean that. I love to pray for you, be helped to you. If here this morning you said, “Preacher, I don’t know that I’m going to heaven. I’m not sure I’m on my way to hell.” Maybe you know that, but you’re not sure that heaven’s my home.

Would you do me this favor? Nobody’s looking. Would you just slip your hand up? And I want to pray for you. If that’s you, you don’t know for sure you’re saved, would you slip your hand up? Just slip it up. God bless you. Anybody else? Just slip it up. “I don’t know that heaven’s my home. I’m not sure of that.” Thank you for being honest with me. Would there be anybody else? “I don’t know that heaven’s my home.” Anybody else? Thank you so very, very much. You can put your hands down. Both of you. Thank you so very, very much.

In just a moment, we’re going to all stand. I’m going to say a prayer. As soon as I say amen, the music will play. Someone will start singing at that moment. As soon as we say amen, there’ll be other people coming down. There’ll be a man coming down. He’ll stand down front here in the very center of this thing. He’ll stand right there. There’ll also be a man in the very back. You say, “I don’t want to go in front of everybody.” There’ll be a man in the very back. But would you go to one of those men? Other people will be moving at that moment. Would you go to one of those men? Would you shake their hand? Would you say, “I want to go to heaven”? That’s all you have to tell them. They’ll take the Bible, and from the Bible, they’ll show you how you can know for sure you go to heaven. We would love to help you in that. Would you please come?

Maybe you hear this morning, you say, “I want to spend my life seeking the Lord. I want to spend my life seeking the Lord.” God spoke to my heart. He’s challenged me. I want to grow in this area. I want to spend my life seeking the Lord. I want to be known like David was: a man after God’s own heart. God’s challenged me on that. If that’s you this morning, I want to spend my life seeking the Lord. If that’s you, would you just slip your hand up? Just slip it up all across the auditorium. God bless you. I want to be that too, not there like I ought to be always, but I want to be there. God’s challenged me. I want to spend my life in the Lord. Anybody else? God bless you. Young people, that’s a great way to start your life. Thank you so very much. You can put your hands down.

In just a moment, we’ll stand and we’ll sing. I’ll pray as soon as we get done praying. We sing. Would you come? Just seeking this morning will be a great time for all of us. I know I needed to get my seeking the Lord back intact after the holidays. Would you come just seeking? Maybe you hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, my desire is low from time to time, and I’m going to pray about it. I’m going to gauge and study and watch myself when my desire is low. I’m going to pray on purpose: ‘Lord, bring the desire back.’” Preacher, I’m going to try to put that in practice in my life. When the desire is low, we’re praying, “Lord, bring the desire back.” If that’s you this morning, slip your hand up—I’m going to be trying to do that challenge. I’ll pray when my desire is low. That’s the key. How many times my desire has been so low, and I’ve thought, “Oh, God, I need the desire back.” He’s so merciful and gracious; He brings it back. I have offended Him so often, grieved and quenched Him.

You can be in a hospital bed and seek the Lord. You can be in Communist China in a prison cell and seek the Lord. You can be on your deathbed, seek the Lord. The thief on the cross did. You’re seeking the Lord. Let’s just be a people seeking the Lord. They won’t want for any good thing, those people right there. And God takes care of those things.

Original File: Seek the Lord - Pastor Paul Chisagr Sunday Am 112920