Seek Him!

Seek Him!

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:13‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 

No matter the condition you are currently in, or the benefits or blessings you currently enjoy, the message in the verse above is timely and relevant for all seasons. The people of Israel were in captivity at this time due to their sin and rebellion against God. God had warned them severally but they would not listen, so He applied the justice due for sin. This is the first lesson for me here: God will punish sin, no matter in whom it is found. He has no favourites when it comes to sin; in fact, the more you know Him, the more you need to avoid sin. Even in punishing His people, mercy still spoke. There was a very specific timeline for the punishment and a promise that the people will be restored to their original dwelling at the end of the period. God is a faithful God; even in anger, He remembers to be merciful, but we must not take His mercy for granted. There would have been people in exile at the time who would never see their own land again but would die in captivity. 

The second lesson for me is to know that God's Word can never be broken, or fail to come to pass. The Word comes from a place of power and authority, backed up by the One whose power is immutable. You can do nothing to change or limit His power. You can either surrender to His authority and enjoy the blessings and benefits that accrue from obedience, or you can rebel and suffer the punishment and consequences that follow, some of which can be eternal and irreversible. As always, the choice is mine to make. God will not go against the exercise of my freewill, but He will definitely supply the grace I need in order to make the right decision. For all who will enjoy all that God supplies in abundant measure, the verse above provides a sure way to access. It is by seeking God with all my heart. Look at the words used in the verse: "with a deep longing". "seek me and require Me as a vital necessity". "search for me with all your heart". These are words that show a deep longing and desire for God beyond the surface. It goes deep into the soul of man and demands his full attention. 

You cannot combine a search for God with a desire to please man at the same time. Both cannot be done with equal attention. My heart is critical to this process because it is the seat of decision. That is where pursuits and priorities are defined and refined and set in place. That is why God's Word tells me to guard my heart with all diligence. Whatever I allow to make an impression will definitely lead to either eternity with God or eternity away from God. God promises that all who truly seek Him will find Him, but the catch is to seek Him like He is all that matters. If I think I have other options, I will not be fully committed to the search. ALL my heart has to be involved and engaged. I cannot afford to let my heart be divided among many options or distractions. You search diligently for anything you consider precious and valuable, and you do not rest until you have it in your hand. It has to be the same with God. When you have him, it does not matter what you do not yet have. He will sort it out if He wants you to have it. If you do not have Him, it will not matter what else you have. Make sure you have God; with Him, the present and the future are secure. God's time of favour is here.