Seeking God with all our hearts: Are we doing it?

5 Evildoers do not understand what is right, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully [for it is spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:13-14)].

One time, Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment in the Law. Jesus answered,

³⁰ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ Mark 12:30

Jesus was quoting Deuteronomy 6:5. Look at the following verses:

⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Do you hear the passion? They are to consume us. Why is the Word of God so important? Because God thought enough of us to write down truth so that we can trust Him. The Word of God has always been important for people to know what holiness and grace are. It is particularly important in identifying the Messiah when He came, for “everything that was written in the past [the Old Testament] was written to teach us” [about Christ] Romans 15:4.

There is a passage in Jeremiah 29:13-14 that speaks to us today as well as it did to the people in Jeremiah’s day,

¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the Lord,

I will ask again, are we seeking God with all our hearts? We have His promise that we will find Him if we do. Is knowing God intimately your passion? Are you consumed with walking with Him, sensing His presence, feeling His love, joy and peace? Do you experience His mercy and grace routinely? The place to seek Him is in the Scriptures–both Old and New Testaments–and in prayer. We connect with God in prayer. We connect with the divine in other people when we pray with them. Prayer is the link to the mind of Christ and the Body of Christ.

Let’s assume that God is really GOD, that Jesus is coming back, and that our lives are really short compared to all eternity. Let’s make knowing Him and obeying Him our top priority. Let’s abandon everything else and seek Him. This is the road to godliness and holiness. Nothing else matters, because if we get this right, then everything else in life falls into place. It may not be like we expect, but it will be what is best according to God. Let’s trust Him to know what He’s doing.

Abba, I trust You. I realize that I won’t get out of this world alive, so I am putting all my treasures in Your bank (Matthew 6:19-21). I know that as I seek You, I will be filled with wisdom, knowledge, discernment, prudence, insight, instruction, discretion and understanding. These qualities will make me into a godly man. They will make me just like You, Jesus. I want more than anything for people to see the qualities of Jesus in me. I love You. Amen.

NOTE: Tomorrow’s Sunday’s Cool lesson is on the Beatitudes. Here is a LINK to a really cool website.