“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
(Jeremiah 29:13 NIV).
The verse is often quoted but somehow, I think I missed the most important word in the verse. One word, stood out, calling to be seen – when.
There are times when it seems like God is quiet or can’t be found, and we seem to wonder “why”? Or where is He? We tend to cast the fault on Him as if He is able of ignoring us or is distant.
Yet if I am reading this verse correctly, the fault lies totally with us. We have the responsibility to seek Him with all our heart.
Perhaps the question that needs to be asked is, “What does it mean to seek Him with all my heart?”. Other versions many shed some light:
- “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” (NLT)
- “When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul.” (NET)
- “Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Amplified)
Seeking Him with all my heart involves more than a cursory once over. It takes a wholeheartedness. It takes prayer. Worship is involved. He becomes a vital necessity to living. It involves more than we are willing to give some days.
“If we seek Him, we will find Him when we want Him more than all else.” (New American Commentary, page 254).
The key to finding Him is wanting Him more than we want anything or anyone else. He is to be our first choice and not something we default to when all else fails. Perhaps the question we need to ask ourselves is, “How much do we want to find Him?”
For we shall find Him … when.
When I need Him as a necessity to live.
When I give Him all of my heart.
Today I am joining … Thought Provoking Thursday and Grace Moments and Heart Encouragement Thursday .
This is such a good word, Joanne! He wants to be the center of our everything. I’ve been studying in James chapter 4 where it talks about Him yearning jealously for us. I want to make Him my all, my everything.
Thanks, Jerralea. I can tend to recognize my need and yearning for Him, but overlook that He is jealous for me as well. Such a good reminder. Thank you for bringing it!
I long for wholeheartedness in my devotion — in my seeking after God. I fear that I approach this privilege with distraction. Thanks for slowing me down to read these good words.
Michele, I was writing out of my own fear of distraction 🙁 It is so easy with our attention being pulled in so many directions. It was good for me to focus on wholeheartedness this week in my own time. Blessings!