Seek!

Seek!

Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 AMPC

The Context and Focus:

It is important to learn about the person and identity of God. It helps to know what he loves and hates, so it can help me in my walk and work to know what to do and what to avoid. This is a God who does not lower His standards for anyone, and whatever he says is sin is sin, no matter how advanced, developed or educated the generation is. This is the same God who speaks in today's verse, and it is important to note the context in which these words were spoken. Judah and Israel had been warned by several prophets to check their ways and avoid sin, but they would not. As it was in line with God's Word that no sinner will go unpunished, God sent the nation of Judah into exile. The king, the nobles, the craftsmen, and both the common man and the rich were all taken captive to Babylon. The lesson here is fundamental: do not joke with sin. It will always lead to disaster if you do not repent. God has no firm favourites when it comes to sin; whether rich or poor, young or old, God hates sin, but the note of joy is that his love for us is not diminished in any way. When we repent and return to Him, He welcomes us back with open arms.

The Message:

That is the context of today's verse. Judah did not think that God could punish them for that long. God had made it clear: this exile would last for 70 years. Rather than settle down and make the best of the time, they were waiting on false prophets and promises, who kept making pronouncements contrary to what God had said. It does not matter what the quality or quantity of opposition to you is; as long as God is on your side and you are obeying His commands, be at rest. There are times when, due to no fault of yours, you could get into trouble. Daniel was a young man who knew and followed God, yet he found himself among the exiles in Babylon. We know now that there was a purpose for him going there, but for us today, we know nothing about the future, except the word of God's constant faithfulness. We do not know where or how our story will end, but we have God in and with us. That should give us the hope and confidence we need to face the present and the future, no matter what may come. Judah was told to settle in the land of exile, and to also pray for its peace, so they could also enjoy peace. Imagine praying for your oppressors. 

The Conclusion:

God sure has different standards from man, and if we follow them, we will get results that will shock and surprise those who watch us. In that land of exile, there was a standing promise by God: you will seek me and find me, as long as you seek me with your whole heart. That is deep. God is the One punishing, yet He is also the one promising His power, presence and protection. The same One who punishes sin is the same One showing mercy, grace and forgiveness. It does not matter how far life takes you, or how deep sin drags you; as long as you are alive, you are never too far away from God's mercy, until it is too late. As long as a man has not sinned against the Holy Spirit, there is yet hope. Sin may be as scarlet, or as red as crimson, there is yet no sin that the blood of Jesus cannot cleanse you from. Location, situation, circumstance and living condition do not matter in this conversation: God's grace is able to reach and save me, but the condition is that I must seek God with my whole heart. Nothing of that hypocrisy or eye-service, which leads to self-deceit, but a sincere search for God, and a commitment to daily obedience. God will be found by such a sincere heart, because he is the One you cannot deceive. He waits for us to come. Take the step today, before it is too late. God's time of favour is here.