Skip to main content

Seeking God

          This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:10-14)

 

Today’s passage contains the beloved verse “For I know the plans I have for you…” To read Scripture correctly, we need to do more than read a beloved verse. Put in context, God told Israel that the hard times they were facing was not the end. When their time in captivity was over, He would take them back to Israel and they would be in proper relation to Him. Part of the reason they would be in proper relation voluntarily is because they would learn how to be in proper relation to the king of Babylon involuntarily. The king of Babylon would expect and enforce obedience. They would also learn that God was far more loving than the king of Babylon. The Israelites were given this information as a reason to hope, and they knew how long they would have to wait: seventy years minus time already spent.

As we face life's difficulties wherever we live, we generally lament because there is no end in sight. We try to fix things ourselves, like Abraham and Sarah, and like the Israelites. We don’t want to wait 25 years, or 70 years. But what if our waiting even five years involves us in something God is doing that is beyond our wildest dreams?

God told the Israelites that when they went back to Israel, they would  have a hope and a future. They would seek Him and find Him when  they sought Him with all their hearts. What would happen if we started seeking Him now? Perhaps with 10% of our hearts? With 50? With 90? Do we even know what it means to seek Him?

When we’re talking about something physical, seeking is easy. You look around the room (or wherever it’s likely to be found.) Perhaps you look in cupboards or drawers, or under or behind furniture. But where do you look for God? Three ideas come to mind. The first is in the Bible. The second is in whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8) The third is wherever you find love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians5:22-23.)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

A Virgin?

           Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)           This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)           But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”            “How will this be,” Mary asked the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Saved?

  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ” (Matthew 7:21-23) Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” (Romans 3:4)   What conclusion do you draw when someone who was raised in a Christian family and church, perhaps even playing a significant role in a chur...
Post a Comment
Read more