Seek Him Early
"I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me." — Proverbs 8:17
The Key to Finding Him
There is a practice that cannot be overstated and is almost universally neglected:
The absolute necessity of spending time reading the Bible and praying on a daily basis, first thing in the morning.
This is a real key to finding the Lord. Not the only one, but a decisive one.
"O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land." (Psalm 63:1)
"With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early." (Isaiah 26:9)
"I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me." (Proverbs 8:17)
The Hebrew word translated early carries the sense of diligently, with earnestness. It is about intensity of intent as much as position on a clock.
The Struggle Named Honestly
One of the hardest things any of us does is get out of bed.
Our flesh cries out for another hour. The struggle to leave a warm bed feels enormous and it does not get easier with spiritual maturity.
But think about it plainly: one hour's sleep is not going to make you feel any different. The exchange you are refusing is an hour of marginal rest for an hour with God.
And there is practical help available. When you are especially tired or ill, ask the Lord to help you wake — He is always faithful to do it. But if you do not respond to His first call, you will oversleep, and the whole day tends to go wrong.
Why Your Desire Is Not the Issue
Many people complain that they do not desire this kind of relationship, or that they do not really want to read the Bible.
Of course you do not.
Never forget that your flesh — your natural self — is hostile to everything to do with God.
"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." (Romans 8:7)
And you may be sure there will always be something posted near you to flash thoughts into your mind building resistance to stop you from reading. It is often necessary to directly rebuke that interference before you can begin reading at all.
We must discipline ourselves to do what God commands whether we desire to do it or not. Reading the Bible and seeking God is a command. It is not optional for a believer.
Be Persistent
"But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul." (Deuteronomy 4:29)
"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)
It takes time to develop this relationship. Too many people give up after a few days, or a few weeks.
Discipline yourself to seek Him, and He will be found by you.
Point to Ponder
Of course you do not desire it. Your flesh is hostile to God. Do it anyway — desire follows obedience far more often than it precedes it.
Verse to Remember
"I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me." — Proverbs 8:17
Question to Consider
Am I waiting until I feel like seeking God?
Today's Practice
Set it up tonight, because mornings are decided the night before.
Decide the time. A real one. Fifteen minutes if that is what you will actually keep.
Decide the content. Choose the passage tonight so you do not spend the time deciding.
Remove the obstacles. Bible where you will see it first. Phone in another room. Go to bed earlier — this is the step everyone skips and the one that determines the outcome.
Expect resistance. Not as a possibility but as a certainty. When your mind floods with reasons not to, or goes strangely blank the moment you open the Book, say aloud: "In the name of Jesus Christ, I rebuke and bind every spirit interfering with my mind. I am going to read."
Then commit to thirty days regardless of how it feels. Most people quit in the first fortnight, precisely when it is most barren. Push through that.
And when you wake — get up. Do not lie there negotiating.
Prayer
Father, I do not want to do this, and I am not going to pretend otherwise. My flesh is hostile to everything to do with You and it always has been.
I am going to do it anyway.
Wake me tomorrow. And when You do, give me the will to put my feet on the floor rather than lie there arguing.
Where something interferes with my mind the moment I open Your word — making me sleepy, making me blank, making me suddenly remember everything else I need to do — I rebuke it now in the name of Jesus Christ.
Give me persistence past the first two weeks, when nothing seems to be happening. Do not let me quit right before it begins.
Those who seek You early shall find You. I am taking You at Your word. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Most people quit in the first fortnight — precisely when it is most barren and closest to breaking through.