A Note of Encouragement

from Ciloa

Dirt road through forest as dawn's light streaks in

Seeking God

Volume XVI, Issue 18

May 2, 2016

"Which is the most important commandment?" Jesus answered, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.1

I often turn to these words, especially when my journey grows difficult, the path is not clear, and I've no clue what to do. In many ways, this can be a complex instruction. But the core of the message---its essence---is incredibly simple. ALWAYS...SEEK...GOD.

Love here is derived from the Greek word agape. Beyond friendship, affection or physical love, agape is more about adoring God, delighting in Him. This is a continuing relationship, not a one-time affair. But how can we have this kind of love for God?

In 1971 a young man wrote a song. A beautiful melody flowed through lyrics that touched something deeper than simple words conveyed. And while I can't say what they meant to him, I know what they've come to mean to me.

I listen to the wind, to the wind of my soul.

Where I'll end up, well I think only God really knows.

I've sat upon the setting sun, but never, never, never, never...

I never wanted water once. No, never, never, never.

Searching for purpose in life, we listen to the wind of our soul. But we try to control it and become more confused and lost. So we give up, resigned to not knowing where life will take us. And at the end of the day, we do nothing but watch the sun set. We never wanted the living water. Not once.

I listen to my words but they fall far below

I let my music take me where my heart wants to go

I swam upon the Devil's lake, but never, never, never, never...

I'll never make the same mistake. No, never, never, never.

Buffeted about by our own desires, we take advice from no one. We believe we are smart enough to figure it all out. So we embrace our own words and wisdom. Yet what we have falls far below what we need. We flirt with disaster. We do what we know to be wrong, always promising, "Never again."

These are the only verses and, at least for me, the song has never felt finished. But that is now the lesson I take from it. This is no way to end a song, just as that is no way to end a life.

Rather than listen to the wind of our soul, we should seek the wind of God and release control to Him.² Our words will never be enough for us. They will never answer all our questions, provide the best purpose and direction for us, or give us peace from all our mistakes.

Sun rising on the ocean's distant horizon

We need to be born from above by the wind of God. We need to love...adore, worship, follow... Him with our entire being. We need to seek Him, not upon the setting sun but from the first glimmer of dawn. And we need to know that if we seek Him with all our heart, we find Him.³

That young man wanted something, but wasn't sure what. He was on a spiritual journey and looked for answers within himself. But it's terribly difficult seeking something when you don't know what you're looking for. In time he chose Islam...and missed the Rising Son.

Want to love God more? Lost your way? Seek God every day...and find Him all over again.

Take care & be God's,

Chuck

PS. To hear the song, click here http://bit.ly/TheWindOfMySoul (ignore the commercial)

¹ Mark 12:29-30

² See John 3:7-8

³ See Jeremiah 29:13

The Wind, Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam), 1971, from the album Teaser and the Firecat

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