One of the most scandalous truths of the gospel is that our Creator longs to be encountered by his creation.

God longs to meet with us. His greatest desire is for relationship with us. God is pursuing each of us with his relentless love,

seeking out those who might respond to his open invitation by opening the door of their hearts to him.

My prayer is that in response to God's desire to meet with his people, we would be those who say yes to centering

our lives around his nearness. May your week-long focus on God's desire to be encountered,

be marked by the reality of his presence and love. Welcome to the first 15 podcast. Our scripture for today comes from Psalm 14 verse 2.

Scripture says, the Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man

to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.

We serve a God who longs to be encountered.

Our God is not distant. He is not a recluse. Every morning,

there is an open invitation set before us to encounter the peaceful, tangible presence of the

living God. In fact, it's because of God's desire to be encountered that

scripture so often commands us to seek him. He is not a God who hides, but he is also not a

God who forces himself on us. He quietly beckons us to a life marked by his nearness, asking us to seek

him that our heart might be open and receptive to him. First Chronicles 16 verse 11 commands us,

seek the Lord and his strength.

Seek his presence continually.

And Revelation 320 says,

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,

I will come into him and eat with him and he with me.

May we be a people who center our lives around God's longing to be encountered. May we seek

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