Gems of Knowledge

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Ezra 10:1–44, 1 Corinthians 6:1–20, Psalm 31:9–18, Proverbs 21:3

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Are You Ready For Jesus?

There are some things in life we can put off until tomorrow. The laundry will probably still be there. The closet can wait another day. Even some of the things that feel urgent right now aren’t nearly as important as we make them out to be.

But there is one thing we should never keep putting off: seeking God.

This morning the Lord spoke a simple but urgent Gem to me:

“Now is the time to seek the Lord. Don’t let it wait any longer.”

There is something about those words that feels different to me. They aren’t frightening, but they are serious. There is an urgency in them that says this isn’t something to keep pushing to the bottom of our list while we assume we’ll have plenty of time later.

We often think of seeking God as something people need to do before they’re saved, but I don’t believe this message is only for those who don’t know Him. It’s for His people too. We can belong to Jesus and still become distracted. We can read our Bibles, go to church, pray over meals, and slowly allow the cares and comforts of this world to take up more of our attention than He does.

That’s why today’s reading in Ezra is so striking. When Ezra confronted the people with how far they had strayed from God’s commands, they didn’t simply acknowledge it and continue living the same way. There was grief, confession, and then action. Ezra told them, “Confess your sin to the LORD, the God of your ancestors, and do what he demands” (Ezra 10:11, NLT).

They couldn’t change yesterday, but they could respond to God today.

Paul gives the Corinthians a similarly direct message. Their culture was filled with sexual immorality and practices contrary to God’s ways, and some of those influences had entered the church. Paul didn’t tell them that belonging to Christ meant it no longer mattered how they lived. He reminded them of something incredibly important: they belonged to God.

“You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20, NLT)

Jesus paid too great a price for us to treat our relationship with Him casually.

Maybe that’s part of what the Lord is reminding us of today. Seeking Him isn’t simply believing He exists or calling on Him when life falls apart. It is continually turning our hearts toward Him, allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal what doesn’t belong, and being willing to change when He does.

And perhaps there is an even greater urgency to that invitation right now.

Jesus repeatedly told His followers to be watchful and ready for His return. We don’t know when that day will come, and Scripture doesn’t give us permission to set dates or live in fear. But it does give us every reason to live ready. The proper response to the reality of Christ’s return isn’t panic or obsession with predicting when—it is drawing closer to Him.

What He wants is relationship.

Psalm 31 gives us such a beautiful picture of where our hearts can rest as we do:

“I am trusting you, O LORD, saying, ‘You are my God!’ My future is in your hands.” (Psalm 31:14–15, NLT)

That’s the posture I want.

Not afraid.

Not distracted.

Not assuming there will always be another tomorrow to get serious about God.

Just close to Jesus, trusting Him with my future and faithfully doing what He’s asking me to do today.

If there is something between you and the Lord, don’t wait to deal with it. If you’ve drifted, come back. If you’ve been meaning to spend more time with Him, begin today. And if you’ve never truly surrendered your life to Jesus, there is no reason to keep postponing the most important decision you’ll ever make.

Now is the time to seek the Lord.

He is worth it. 💎

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Action (5 Minutes with God)

Take time to be with the Lord today, even if its just 5 minutes. Ask Him:

• “Lord, what do You want me to know about this personally?”
  • Journal what He gives you through His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “What do You want me to do?”
  • Journal what He reveals – then do it!

Don’t put it off. Seek and Respond to Him today.

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Prayer

Dear Lord, I don’t want to take my relationship with You for granted or assume there will always be another day to seek You more deeply. Search my heart and show me anything that has distracted me, pulled me away, or taken a place that belongs to You. Help me respond quickly when You speak and live with my heart turned toward You. I don’t want fear about the future; I want confidence that comes from knowing I am walking closely with You. My future is in Your hands. Teach me to seek You today and every day until I see You face to face. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray, amen.

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