{"id":630,"date":"2017-06-18T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-06-18T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/?p=630"},"modified":"2017-06-14T20:01:50","modified_gmt":"2017-06-15T01:01:50","slug":"what-does-the-bible-say-about-seeking-the-lord","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hanoverbaptistchurch.dreamhosters.com\/blogpastor\/2017\/what-does-the-bible-say-about-seeking-the-lord\/","title":{"rendered":"What does the Bible say about seeking the Lord?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\u201cIs not the LORD your God with you? And has He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the LORD and before His people. Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God.\u201d 1\u00a0Chronicles\u00a022:19<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

When I realize I have lost something, I generally make a hurried search to find it. Sometimes I am successful, but many times I am not. It is time to implement \u201cPlan B.\u201d Plan B takes a bit of studying, especially since the first search came up empty and felt like a waste of time. As much as it would have been great to find the item on the first search, attempting Plan B sharpens the anticipation because there is a greater sense of success.<\/p>\n

Plan B requires methodology, it requires forethought, it requires review, and it requires sharpened senses. Methodology includes remembering where you have been, applying logic to the problem\u2014\u201cWhere did I have it last?\u201d Forethought includes considering what other forces may have been exerted upon it since it left my control, like gravity, other people moving it\u2014\u201cWhere would it most likely be?\u201d Review includes remembering where the first search took place and deciding if it is worth a second look\u2014\u201cWhat was I doing while I did<\/em> have it?\u201d Sharpened senses include really paying attention in the second go-round, trying to look with fresh eyes, making sure you are not allowing distraction to weaken your senses in pursuit\u2014\u201cWhat did I miss in my initial search?\u201d<\/p>\n

Searching for God is not quite the same pursuit. We have not \u201clost\u201d God, we<\/em> are lost. We are the ones needing to be found (Luke\u00a015). Man does not do a good job \u201cfinding\u201d God. In fact, left to ourselves, we cannot \u201csearch out\u201d God: \u201cThere is none righteous, no, not one, there is none who understands [grasp and comprehend]; there is none who seeks after God [to search out, investigate, crave, demand], they have together become unprofitable [unserviceable, rendered useless]\u201d (Romans\u00a03:10ff). Because man is spiritually dead from birth, any determined search for God will fail. He will stop short by becoming satisfied with something less than the true God and the salvation that grace provides. No matter how virtuous may be his \u201cdivine\u201d discovery, it falls short of the righteousness of God. Even believers are happy to \u201csettle\u201d in their knowledge of God; this should not be (Philippians\u00a03:10).<\/p>\n

Jesus revealed, \u201cFor the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost\u201d (Luke\u00a019:10). While we were dead in trespasses and sins, Christ died for the ungodly (Romans\u00a05:8; Ephesians\u00a02:1ff). As part of the saving grace of God, a believer is awakened to eternal truth, to eternal purpose, eternal fellowship, eternal service, and eternal living. Paul tells us in Colossians\u00a03:1ff, \u201cIf then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.\u201d His words build on the words of our Lord in Matthew\u00a06:33: \u201cBut seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The words of David in 1\u00a0Chronicles\u00a022 to his son Solomon are words that echoed in the ear of each godly king in Judah\u2019s history. Every good king heeded his words, every bad king ignored them. There were no exceptions. David\u2019s charge to Solomon was to set his heart and soul to seek the Lord Jehovah. The search is a Plan B type of search. The pursuit of God was to take priority. His words challenge us as well.<\/p>\n

Take time to thumb through the book of 2\u00a0Chronicles and review how many times David\u2019s words to his descendants determine their blessing, or prove to be their curse (2\u00a0Chronicles\u00a011:16, 12:14, 14:7, 15:12, 17:3, 26:5, 30:19, 31:21, 34:3). Isaiah\u00a055:6ff commands, \u201cSeek [tread toward] the LORD while He may be found [when God permits Himself to be found], call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to your God for He will abundantly pardon.\u201d<\/p>\n

How does a believer seek after God? Plan A searches (hurried, instant, obligatory, or curious) are just not adequate. The serious student of God\u2019s wonders pursues Plan B by searching methodically, taking forethought, reviewing and depending upon the illumining work of the Holy Spirit. Seek out God\u2019s Word (Psalm\u00a0119:45,\u00a094), God\u2019s name as He has revealed Himself (Psalm\u00a083:16), God\u2019s face in prayer (Psalm\u00a027:8,\u00a0105:4), and God\u2019s house (Deuteronomy\u00a012:5, Psalm\u00a0100).<\/p>\n

Not only are we commanded to seek Him, and told how to seek Him, we are also given His rules for seeking Him while He may be found. We are to seek Him with the whole heart, the search requires concentration of your being (Deuteronomy\u00a04:29). Take time to cultivate the desire to seek Him (Job\u00a05:8) even if it is affliction that forces you to seek Him.<\/p>\n

Earnest pursuit of your heavenly Father is always rewarded with blessing (Psalm\u00a0119:2), joy (Psalm\u00a070:4), favor (Lamentations\u00a03:25), promises (Psalm\u00a069:32), and understanding (Proverbs\u00a023:5), and it will fill you with worshipful praise (Psalm\u00a022:26). Searching after God is not just for kings, it is for every son of the Most High! Trust and obey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cIs not the LORD your God with you? And has He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the LORD and before His people. Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God.\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hanoverbaptistchurch.dreamhosters.com\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hanoverbaptistchurch.dreamhosters.com\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hanoverbaptistchurch.dreamhosters.com\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanoverbaptistchurch.dreamhosters.com\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanoverbaptistchurch.dreamhosters.com\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=630"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hanoverbaptistchurch.dreamhosters.com\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hanoverbaptistchurch.dreamhosters.com\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanoverbaptistchurch.dreamhosters.com\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanoverbaptistchurch.dreamhosters.com\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}