Amos 5:4
“For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:”
Two times in this chapter God tells His people to “seek” something. The first time is found in the verse above when He says, “Seek ye me, and ye shall live:” The second time is in verse 14 when He says, “Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live…” The result of seeking in both verses was life. God was giving Israel a chance to turn things around. They were facing God’s judgment, and He told them that if they would seek Him and good, they could turn things around and live.
You often hear people talk about turning a new page in life. They say this because they know they need to change what is happening in their life. Many Christians who went the way of the world decided to turn a new page because they discovered the world didn’t give them what they thought it would. These Christians who want to turn the page realize that they lost the joy and life they once had, and now they want to turn the page and start all over. This is good! There is nothing wrong with turning the page and starting over; but, how do you turn the page?
First, you turn the page by seeking the LORD. The verse above says, “Seek ye me, and ye shall live…” I’m afraid there are many Christians who are faithful to church and are religious, but they are not seeking the LORD. Just because you are religious doesn’t mean that you are seeking the LORD. Doing your daily “penance” by reading three chapters in the Bible isn’t seeking the LORD. Performing your weekly “penance” by going to church on Sunday and Wednesday doesn’t comprise seeking the LORD. Yes, you are to do these things, but are you doing them to feel good about yourself, or are you doing them to truly seek the LORD’s mind? Seeking the LORD is accomplished by being consumed with trying to please God with every action and thought that you do and think; this will be life-changing. When you seek the LORD, you are obsessed with doing what He wants you to do; you will be consumed with a heart that yearns to make Him happy with your life. You will find the life will turn a new page and has a new meaning when you truly seek the LORD.
Second, you turn the page by seeking good. Verse 14 says, “Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live…” Again, life comes when you are as consumed with doing the right thing with everything you do. When you have a heart to seek the LORD, that will result in having the desire to do good all the time. When you seek good, you are not flippant about doing things, but you will search out what is the right thing to do. Seeking good is like the young man trying to find the right ring for the young lady he wants to marry; he seeks the right ring in hopes to make her happy. My friend, you should seek to do the right thing in life so diligently that there is no mistake that it is right. Never embrace the mentality that you don’t care because you can always ask forgiveness. Seeking good never allows the thought that wrong is acceptable because you an always ask forgiveness. Seeking good wants to do right all the time. You will never turn a page in life until your heart has the desire to do the right thing.
Christian, get consumed with turning the new page in life. When you choose to turn the page by seeking God and good, you will find a new life has new meaning and joy that you have never experienced before.