Are We Looking?

Jeremiah 29:13 "If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me."

“I would like to buy three dollars' worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk, or a snooze in the sunshine...I want ecstasy, not transformation. I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy three pounds of God, please" — Wilbur Reese

Why is this, while not spoken out loud, a common feeling in the church today?  Is it that we are so absorbed in our lives that we don’t “have time” to seek God? Is it that we are so comfortable in our complacent state that we fear seeking God will cause discomfort (conviction)? Is it that we don’t want to have to change our lifestyle or habits?  Give up our selfish desires or sin?

Whatever the reason, a three dollar/three pound portion of God is not his desire for us.  Jeremiah 29:13 tells us that if we “look for (seek) him wholeheartedly, we will find him.”

What does it mean to seek God?  John Piper writes, “Seeking the Lord means seeking his presence. “Presence” is a common translation of the Hebrew word “face.” Literally, we are to seek his “face.” But this is the Hebraic way of having access to God. To be before his face is to be in his presence.”

God is always with us; however, like in a marriage relationship, I may be in the same room with my husband, but if I am not engaging with him, am I really in his “presence?” NO!  God longs to not just be with us but to be present in the moment with us.  He desires for us to actively pursue him. 

Hungering and thirsting for God is an all-consuming passion that drives every aspect of life. One summer, I took a bike ride out into the desert with little water. As I turned around and headed back to my truck, I realized that I was out of water. Each mile brought a new level of thirst and desperation. My thoughts were consumed with water; nothing else mattered. The scenery and quiet that I enjoyed minutes earlier had lost its attraction.

Hope surged when I spotted my truck in the near distance. Within minutes, I dropped my bike, sprung the truck door open, and devoured the remaining water. Dehydration and exhaustion quickly gave way to a refreshing sense of satisfaction. The extreme thirst that I was feeling was now satisfied.

This reminded me of the thirst that God often describes in His word—those who truly thirst (seek) Him with all of their heart will be satisfied. This is not partial obedience, its full surrender; it's not trying to squeeze God in, it's about allowing Him to fully saturate every aspect of our lives. - Shane Idleman, founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Lancaster, Calif.

Even as wholehearted seeking involves repentance and keeping our hearts pure before God; being holy because he is holy, (1 Peter 1:16, For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”)   it also brings benefits:

1. Refreshing  

Acts 3:19-20 “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah.”

Proverbs 3:6-8 (NET Bible) “Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own estimation; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. This will bring healing to your body, and refreshment to your inner self.”

      2.  Fruitfulness

Jeremiah 17:7-8 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”

3. Freedom from Worry

Matthew 6:31-33 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

4. Deliverance from Fear

Psalm 34:4 (NIV) “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

5. Strength

2 Chronicles 16:9 “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

While it is true that seeking God might bring conviction, which, if acted upon will result in life change, it is also true that seeking God will add unlimited blessings to our lives.  God’s presence is a place of healing, rest, refreshing, deliverance, and strength. 

Jeremiah 29:13 "If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me."  Am I looking?

All Scriptures are NLT unless otherwise stated.