Do you seek ME for what I can do or do you seek ME for who I Am?

I have been spending a lot more time reading this pass few days. And through His Word and books written by His servants, God has been dealing with me personally. I now understand why until now i haven't even gotten a reply for a part time job, i don't think it's a coincidence. God wants to use this time to draw me back into perspective and nearer to Him. I was reading the book 'Drawing Near' by John Bevere and for the first time in some time, i heard God speaking to me ever so clearly.

'Do you seek me for what I can do or do you seek me for who I Am?'

I was awestrucked and immediately repented before God. God had let surfaced what was actually in my heart. I did not heed his pat on my back. I was constantly praying for God to provide me a job. But was that what God wanted me to be doing? The prolonged time that i was in my room because of my ankle injury was an opportunity for me to draw near to God once again. Let me share with you what God had taught me.

What is our motivation as a Christian? What should be our primary motivation?
Obedience is better than sacrifice. That would mean that if God says don't go to Africa as a missionary or don't start the 'feed the poor' ministry. Don't do it. We will always try to reason that these are for good causes but if God has made it clear, just listen. We often also need to examine our motives.

What type of Christians are we?
There are 2 types:
1. Those who seek God for what He can do.
2. Those who seek God for who He is.

Lets examine this with a familiar story in the Bible. In Exodus, there is a clear contrast between Moses and the children of Israel.
The Israelites can be compared to those who seek God for only what He can do. People who follow God but only for the salvation and blessings. They acknowledge Jesus as their Lord and saviour and look to Him for deliverance and provision but their heart is revealed by personal desires and actions. They still want to take control of their lives and think that they know what is best for themselves. The Israelites were like that. They cried to God for deliverance for hundreds of years and God answered them with Moses. They rejoiced and bowed their heads to worship. But suddenly everything changes when Pharoah rejects Moses' delivering word from God and adds the workloads of the Israelites. They were all so angry that they called judgement on Moses. But when Pharoah finally let's them go after the plagues they have a change in attitude again and were praising God once again and they were confident in Moses once again. When they get to the Red Sea and see the Egyptian army hot on thei heels. Once again they turn to Moses and curse him for bringing them out here to die. (Remember Moses was God's prophet so if they opposed Moses they were opposing God.) Then God intervenes once again by spliting the Red sea. When the Egyptian army was consumed, once again their hearts are changed and worship and praise the Lord once again. This happens again and again during 40 years in the desert with examples like the manna and the golden calf. Why didn't the Israelites ever learn their lesson? Because they were seeking their own desires and only cared for their own comfort. They are happy as long as God is doing what they wanted and unhappy whenever God wasn't doing what they wanted. They have placed their desires over His heart or presence.

Moses was different. He seeked God for who He was. The cycle of the Israelites were repeated many times and God was fed up with it and He told Moses in Exodus 33:1-3. He had promised the Israelites through the patriachs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob the promise land. He was fed up with the stubborn Israelites and didn't want to go with them but instead send an angel to help them drive out the rebels to take the land. It sounds like a good deal right? which i think the Israelites would have taken it.
But Moses responded in Exodus 33:15. 'If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.'
Moses said that he would rather suffer in the desert than go into the land of milk and honey without God's Presence. What was Moses' heart's cry? GOD'S PRESENCE. He desired the Lord Himself more than His promised blessings. Moses had put seeking God above everything else.

Where do we stand? Which one are we? I admit that i was only seeking God's blessings. I seeked only the world but not the creator. If we looked back at the exodus story. There has been a misconception that God brought the Israelites out of Egypt to the promise land. God brought them out so that they could go to Mount Sinai. Remember what Moses said to Pharoah on God's behalf :' Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert.' He didn't say 'Let my people go so that they can go inherit a land.' God gives us the opportunities and longs for us to draw near to Him. He usually gives us hints which we need to identify and respond. I believe if He comes directly to us like He did to Paul on the road to Damascus, many of us will die of fright. God is calling us to Him constantly, that is His heart's desire. He wants to know us, He wants to be our best friend. Shouldn't our heart's desire be to seek Him as well?