Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.     Jeremiah 29:12-13 NKJV

When we use the phrase, “With all my heart,” it implies that we are committed till death. It implies that we will die rather than betray the other person. It implies that we will give all we have to making the relationship work.

We put our hearts into what is important to us. We put our hearts into loving our families. We put our hearts into our jobs. We may even put our hearts into our hobbies or sports. But can we honestly say we put our whole hearts into loving the Lord? Is he number one in our lives?

In our Scripture passage today, Jeremiah is speaking or has written to those who will be taken captive in Babylon. He’s telling them they will be there 70 years. They are told to live their lives while they are there and raise families and build houses. If you read about those taken captive, you will see that those who remained faithful to God were well cared for as God gave them favor with the kings that reigned during the time of their captivity.

God protected them even though they went through some trying times, and he provided for them. They were put in high positions. These people had faith in God, and they put Him first.

God tells them when they seek Him with all their heart, they will find Him. In Matthew 22:37 Jesus said the greatest commandment was that we love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind.

God doesn’t want our half-hearted love. He doesn’t want our half-hearted efforts. He wants us to put our whole heart into seeking Him and loving Him and trusting Him and obeying Him.

Proverbs 3:5 tells us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding.

I wish I could tell you that each and every day I wholeheartedly serve the Lord, but I’m human. I make mistakes, I let other things get in my way. Sometimes it’s my own anger. Sometimes it’s just the busyness of life. Sometimes the devil throws distractions my way and I fall for them before I realize they are just that, a distraction from the devil.

If your spouse, or child, or parents told you they sort of loved you, would that be good enough? If they told you there was a part of their heart that loved you, would that make you happy? Well, you need to know God doesn’t settle for that. He wants all our hearts.

Are you willing to surrender your whole heart to Him today? If you love Him with all your heart it makes it easier to obey Him and trust in Him.

He loved you with all His heart, He even gave His Son to die on the cross for you while you were yet a sinner (Romans 5:8).

We put our whole heart into searching for lost keys. Are you willing to surrender your whole heart to the Lord who gave His Son for you?

Just something to think about.

Have a great day!