“Earnestly Seek The Lord!”

“Earnestly Seek The Lord!”
“…I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me.” God spoke these words to Israel through prophet Hosea. Despite all efforts to show his love for Israel, they still ignored God and depended on their own strength and gods!
God decided to withdraw and allow them to learn the bitter lesson that they couldn’t do without him.
It turned out just as God had forseen. They said, “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us, but he will bind up our wounds.” They however underestimated or took God for granted. They said, “after two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord…” (Hos.5:15-6:3).
Like Israel of old we are in the same kind of situation. There can be no gainsaying that this triangle once enjoyed God’s immanence (Immanuel)! Parastatals and big cooperations were booming and had enough reserves. Transparency and accountability were the norm. But today bribery, corruption, fraud, embezzlement, capital flight are the norm.
We have turned to esoteric fraternities, Famla, Nyongo, Oku became another name for mystical powers, Odeshi was imported and God was relegated to the background! We depend on our own strengths and wisdom and even play god; so God has gone back to his place. He is waiting for us to admit our guilt so that we will seek his face. He is expecting that in our misery we should “earnestly seek him.”
Look around; magnificent Church houses, prayer bands everywhere and loud sound systems disturbing neighbourhoods with prayers. These are indicators that we acknowledge the Lord and that we have returned to him. So we are just waiting for him to heal us and bind up our wounds.
But are we doing so in earnest? Why is it that evil actions are intensifying both in the secular and sacred institutions? We are offering lip services; taking God for granted because grace abounds! We deceive ourselves that “after two days he will revive us” and restore us on the third day!
This will not happen until our misery has pricked us and we earnestly” seek God! “Earnestly” means doing something “with sincere and intense conviction…”
Dear friend, everywhere we read things like, “you cannot be doing the same things and expecting different results.” We should change the narrative!
The compassionate and merciful God of grace still loves us. All he wants is that we should return to him by earnestly seeking him, not by word of mouth but in truth and sincerity!
Prayer: Holy Spirit revive my spirit so that in my misery I should earnestly seek the Lord. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!