Seek God!

Seek God!

Jeremiah 29:13 AMPC

[13] 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.

Reflect on the background to the verse above: Judah had sinned and rebelled against God's express commands. They had consistently kicked against God's standards, and despite all the warnings that God sent through many prophets, including Jeremiah, the people would not listen, heed, repent and return to God. As you know, God is a just God. He has made quite clear what the punishment for sin is, and He is too faithful to fail, or be termed a liar. As we trust Him to keep His promises, so can we trust Him to uphold His standard, even when it comes to sin. Nations that had been afraid of the land of Israel were now bold to come against Israel in warfare. The people were taken captive, and not just the poor of the land alone; there were elders, priests, the prophets, and many others that the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon.

The elite also included the king Jeconiah, the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the smiths. Who says sin does not have a high price? Who says power, position, possession or privilege can keep you away from the effecf and consequence of sin? Sin can and will reduce anyone, no matter how high, to the lowest point of depression. It cuts one off from our greatest ally, whose help is available to give continuous victory over the power of sin. In this instance, from the palace to the principal officers of the kingdom, the effect of rebellion against God was felt by all. Note that God has no favourites when it comes to sin, and He will punish sin, no matter in whom it is found. However, it is a thing of gratitude that sin did not have the final say on matters here. The verse above makes it clear that even in the face of sin, God provides a way of return to Him. 

That is what the verse above lays out quite clearly. No matter how far away I have gone, or how bad things get, God keeps the door of mercy open for me. God sent Jeremiah, the prophet, with a message of hope to the people in exile. The message was clear: I am here if you want to return. No matter how far away you are from the land of promise, I am just a calll away. It is unfortunate it took exile for the people's heart to return to God, but we take comfort from the mercy of God that keeps reminding us that we have a Father whose heart will not let go. As we seek Him with all our hearts, He promises that we will find Him. Key is to seek Him with all our heart, not out of hypocrisy or eye-service, but from a place of sincerity. I need God; I will not be able to successfully navigate this complex world without His help. The blood has given me access; eternity hangs on what I do with that access. God waits for us all; God's time of favour is here.