Amos 5:4-5 This is what the LORD says to the house of Israel:
“Seek me and live;
do not seek Bethel,
do not go to Gilgal,
do not journey to Beersheba.
For Gilgal will surely go into exile,
and Bethel will be reduced to nothing. ”

As I read this the image immediately came to mind of people flocking to one place or another that was “having revival,” seeking blessings for themselves. The problem with that is that they are indeed seeking blessings for themselves, rather that seeking the Lord for who He is. I recall several years ago when I was one of the interpreters for some people who came to Japan from Brownsville Church in Pensacola, Florida, to share the blessings they were experiencing. I didn’t feel there was anything particularly wrong about those who came and spoke in the meetings, but those who attended were certainly a mixed bag. Some were indeed seeking more of God, just as He tells us to do in this verse, but many came for “the latest thrill.” That’s not the right motive! We aren’t to seek places, we aren’t to seek manifestations, we are to seek God Himself. I keep coming back to Matthew 6:33, where Jesus tells us to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” God already knows what we need, and He’s certainly not stingy. He will supply everything we need, whether it’s physical, as in healing, material, as in finances, emotional, as in encouragement, or spiritual, as in deliverance. He does tell us to ask, seek, and knock, (Matthew 7:7-8) but that’s on the foundation of seeking God Himself first and foremost.

I have desired to visit places that were being touched by God, but finances, particularly, didn’t allow it. I now think that was probably a blessing from God! I need to be more earnest in seeking Him myself, so that I may be a more effective channel of His life to others. Right now I am in the Tohoku area of Japan, and one of the reasons I came was because of the reports I had heard of harvest among the people who have been so shaken by the earthquake and tsunami. God has graciously blessed me in this time, but I have not seen anyone commit to Him yet. In my years of ministry I have desired to see harvest, but have seen little. I realize that I need to seek Him and His kingdom, and let Him take care of the harvest. In my time here I have indeed seen hearts that are softened, and I rejoice, but God is able to soften hearts anywhere. I need to seek Him and live!

Father, thank You for this week, and for this Word to cap it off. Thank You that this is Sunday, and that people will be gathering all over this nation to worship You. I pray for each one, here in Tohoku, back in Omura, and everywhere in between and even outside of that area, that they would encounter You indeed. I pray for each one speaking, each one leading music, that they would seek You and let You take care of the rest. May Your Name be hallowed, Your kingdom come, and Your will be done, as perfectly on earth as it is in heaven, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!