You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 HCSB
Are you seeking God? I want you to really think about this for a minute. Are you seeking God? Are you searching for Him with your whole heart? In our Scripture passage today, Jeremiah is telling the Israelites that after they have served 70 years in captivity God will restore them. They must serve this punishment due to their repeated idolatry and disobedience.
Through His prophet Jeremiah, God is telling them they will find Him when they seek Him and search for Him with all their heart. We must understand this concept of seeking the Lord. It doesn’t mean simply looking for the Lord, it means we seek His will, we seek to do what is right and we strive for righteousness. Seeking the Lord means we desire Him in our lives above all other things and everyone else. We are constantly seeking Him and His righteousness.
Matthew 6:33 is one of my favorite verses. It says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” It’s important to understand that this is telling us to put God first. When we put God first, we want what He wants for our lives. We want His will above all. So, this verse doesn’t mean if we seek God, He will make us rich and famous. It means if we seek God, we will want His will to be done in our lives. Our will aligns with His will, and He provides all we need. He equips us to do what He has called us to do and provides the necessities in our lives.
Jeremiah 29:11 is another favorite, just two verses above our Scripture passage. In this verse, God tells the people through His prophet, Jeremiah, that He has good plans for them plans for their welfare and not for disaster. He plans to give them hope and a future. But this is after they have served their 70 years in captivity. They are instructed during their captivity to live their lives and serve Him knowing He’s got this.
If you read the Old Testament, you will see that some fared well during their captivity, and these are the ones who stayed faithful to God even when it went against King Nebuchadnezzar’s instructions. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace are a prime example. As is Daniel in the lion’s den. They were seeking God above all else that was going on in their lives. They were putting God first. They put Him first and trusted Him to handle everything else. God took good care of them and blessed them for their obedience.
So, I ask you again, are you truly seeking God in your life today? Are you putting God first and trusting that He will take care of all you need? Are you trusting in Him and giving Him your all?
If you are not, there is no time like the present. He’s waiting patiently, but there may come a time when He gives you over to your sinful desires (Romans 1:20-24). Seek Him today. Don’t reject Him but surrender to Him. I assure you; that you won’t ever regret that decision.
Have a great day!