After the Feast, Seek the Lord

Are You Seeking the Lord After Your Days of Feasting?

Thanksgiving has come and gone. The tables have been cleared, the leftovers stored away, and families have returned to their routines.

But before we move too quickly back to normal life, there’s a powerful lesson we need to consider from the book of Job. Job 1:5 tells us:

“And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.”

Job’s children would gather together for feasts. These were likely times of celebration, food, and fellowship. After each feast, the Bible tells us that Job would do something remarkable: he would seek the Lord on their behalf. He would rise up early in the morning and offer burnt offerings for each of his children, interceding before God for their spiritual condition.

Notice Job’s concern: “It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Job understood that during times of celebration and pleasure, there’s a spiritual danger. When we’re focused on the good gifts (the food, the family, and the fun) we can easily drift from the Giver.

Our hearts can grow cold without us even realizing it.

During family gatherings, things happen. Old conflicts sometimes resurface. Conversations don’t always honor God. The children hear things, see things, and participate in things that may not be spiritually healthy. Even in the best families, even during celebrations centered around thanksgiving, hearts can wander.

So here’s the question we must ask ourselves: After the feast, have we sought the Lord? After the celebration, have we interceded for our family?

The verse tells us that Job did this “continually.” This wasn’t a one-time practice. Every time there was a feast, Job followed up with prayer and sacrifice. He was vigilant, consistent, and faithful.

As heads of households, as parents, as spiritual leaders in our homes, we need to follow Job’s example. We need to rise up early and pray. We need to intercede for our families, especially after times when the focus has been on earthly things (even good earthly things).

First Timothy 5:8 reminds us:

“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”

While this verse certainly applies to physical provision, it equally applies to spiritual provision. Are we providing for our households spiritually? Are we covering them in prayer?

Job’s concern went deep. He wasn’t just praying about obvious sins; he was concerned about the condition of his children’s hearts. Proverbs 4:23 warns us: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

The heart is where everything begins. Every action, every word, and every choice begins right at the heart. Job understood this, and that’s why he was so diligent in his intercession.

We need to pray the same way. Not just “Lord, keep my children from doing bad things,” but “Lord, guard their hearts. Keep them close to You. Don’t let them drift. Don’t let their affections grow cold.”

So, after this Thanksgiving, make Job’s practice your practice. After the feasts, after the celebrations, after the family gatherings… seek the Lord. Intercede for your family.

Don’t wait. Don’t put it off. Rise up early and make it a priority. Pray for your children’s hearts. Pray for your spouse’s heart. Pray for your siblings’ hearts. Pray that whatever happened during those times of celebration, God would sanctify it and keep your family close to Him.

Do it continually. Don’t pray once and think you’re done. Be vigilant. Be consistent. Be faithful to intercede for those God has placed under your care.

Job was called “perfect and upright” in Job 1:1, and part of that righteousness was his faithfulness to intercede for his family. May the same be said of us.

The greatest gift you can give your family isn’t a perfect meal or a flawless gathering. It’s your prayers. It’s your faithfulness to seek the Lord on their behalf.

So today, right now, take time to pray for your family. Seek the Lord on their behalf. Be the spiritual leader God has called you to be.

After the feast, seek the Lord.