HAVING THE RIGHT PURSUITS

At the start of the year, it is essential we get our perspective right. Aiming for the right things can help make 2017 a fruitful year. Before we hit the ground running, we need to have it clear in our minds what we are to pursue. Otherwise, the year might just be spent running aimlessly.

In the Bible, there are 158 verses on the word “joy” and these verses did not point to having joy because of material wealth or success.

The Lord is our Provider. We ought not to be investing in the things of this world but to that which is eternal.

The great men and women of God found true joy because they don’t have interests in wealth and material possessions. When they testify, you see freedom in them and they were never afraid and so, we hope to be like them in our walk with God.

In 2016, there could be a number of instructions the Lord has given us. In line with these instructions, we need to seek God on how we can completely obey and finish them for this new year. As we start 2017, we have to keep our eyes on these pursuits that lead to joy.

1. Called to rebuild the tabernacle.

We are called to follow after God in rebuilding the tabernacle and ruined places in the country where God has planted us. Along with the rebuilding, we need to press on in our worship to enter into the Holiest of All. In the very presence of God, there is a fullness of joy. Our priority should be to pursue God and to be in His presence. Other things will never satisfy us because God alone can fill us with unspeakable joy (Psalms 16:11).

2. Called to be watchmen.

We need to remember that the Lord has called His Church to be a house of prayer for all nations. Intercession encourages us to have the end in mind and keep on praying until God has answered our prayers. One thing that demotivates a Christian from praying is the lack of results. They look at the present situation of their prayer item and they view it as an impossibility.

In the movie “Faith Like Potatoes”, there was a farmer who planted potatoes in a time of drought. It required faith to plant those potatoes not only because it was a time of drought but also because the crop grew underground. So the farmer was really not seeing what was happening to his crop but he had to take care of it until the harvest.

It is like that in prayer. Most of the time, the work is happening beyond our human eyes. It is happening in the inward man of that person we are interceding for. The outward seems unmoved but the inside is going through a transformation. What is important is what we will get when the harvest time comes. It’s not the plant that is important but it is the fruits that we will have that counts.

Intercession may bring forth many tears but a time shall come that the tears are going to be replaced with joy. Psalms 126:5-6 tells us that our tearful prayers, our cries for others, are like seeds for sowing. The passage uses the word doubtless, which means with all certainty. Those who sow shall eventually rejoice because the seeds will transform to harvests. You have sown seeds. You will reap sheaves. Joy comes to the faithful watchmen. Because to the watchmen, the harvest is sure.

3. Called to go and share the gospel.

 

The call to proclaim the gospel is not simply an annual direction of a church. Mark 16:15 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” It is an integral part of who we are as the body of Christ. It has to be part of our personal lifestyles and we need to follow those who make sharing the gospel their lifestyle.

We also need to have the courage to share and engage conversations with people even to those coming from different backgrounds. We must learn not to dismiss opportunities with them. We need to share to them the truth about Jesus Christ. Are we walking the extra mile to reach out to people?

The family of Corrie Ten Boom was not rich. In fact, they had little. But they had big hearts. Their mother shared the love of Christ by preparing food for the needy. They welcomed guests who hadn’t much to eat. She also knitted clothes for the poor. Their father on the other hand also cared for everyone. He was so kind a number of times he will forget to charge people for the watch repair service he did for them. Poor as they were, one man who heard the Ten Boom’s family life said that theirs must be the happiest home in Holland. Sharing the love of Christ, sharing the gospel, brings forth a joy in us that no money or riches can ever buy.

4. Called to raise up our own Timothy.

The Great Commission calls us to go and make disciple of all the nations. Just like the Apostle Paul, we also need to raise up our own Timothy in the faith. It has to be ingrained in our bloodstream that desire to populate Zion with dwellers. We are not called to climb Zion alone but to bring others with us.

We need to continue praying, sowing, and asking God to grant us the desire to see many sons and daughters come to glory. It would take a lot of investment, obedience, and sacrifices to raise up a Timothy. Zion is a place where the fathers and mothers of the faith birth their spiritual children. The Philippian church was a real joy to Apostle Paul because this was a church that sought after God. It will be our great joy and honor to bring people to Zion.

To sum up, these are the things we need to pursue this year. Joy is found in following God and seeking after His presence. Joy Is found in interceding for others. Joy is found in preaching the Gospel and winning souls to Christ. Finally, joy is found in raising up our own spiritual children.

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