Seeking God
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· 32 viewsGod’s desire is that all people should seek after him and find him. Those who seek God with all their heart are rewarded, but those who fail to seek him do so to their eternal loss.
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God’s heart is for people to seek him
God’s heart is for people to seek him
God wants people to seek him
God wants people to seek him
that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
See also 1 Ch 16:11; Heb 11:6; Am 9:11–12; Ac 15:16–17; 1 Ch 22:19; Ps 14:2
God calls people to seek him
God calls people to seek him
“Seek the Lord while he may 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, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
See also Ho 10:12; Am 5:4–6
God promises that people will seek him
God promises that people will seek him
“In those days and in that time, declares the Lord, the people of Israel and the people of Judah shall come together, weeping as they come, and they shall seek the Lord their God.
See also Zep 2:3; Ho 3:4–5; Zec 8:20–23; Ho 5:13–15
God promises to be found by those who seek him
God promises to be found by those who seek him
I love those who love me,
and those who seek me diligently find me.
See also 1 Ch 28:9; Is 45:19; Dt 4:29–31; Mt 7:7–8; Je 29:11–14; 2 Ch 15:1–2
God’s opportunity for seeking him is now and is restricted to this life
God’s opportunity for seeking him is now and is restricted to this life
For he says,
“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
See also Lk 16:19–31
Seeking God is an issue of the heart
Seeking God is an issue of the heart
Seeking God begins in the heart
Seeking God begins in the heart
You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
See also 2 Ch 11:16
Seek not an experience, but seek Him, seek to know Him, seek to realise His presence, seek to love Him, Seek to die to yourself and everything else, that you may live entirely in Him and for Him and give yourself entirely to Him. If He is at the centre, you will be safe. But if you are simply seeking an experience; if you are looking for thrills and excitement, then you are opening the door to the counterfeit—and probably you will receive it.
Great Doctrines of the Bible (2), 253
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Welsh Preacher and Writer)
Wholeheartedness in seeking God is required
Wholeheartedness in seeking God is required
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
See also Ps 63:1; Dt 4:27–29; 1 Ch 22:17–19; 2 Ch 15:12–15
Seeking God and his kingdom is the priority of life
Seeking God and his kingdom is the priority of life
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
See also Mt 13:44–46; Ps 27:4
Examples of people seeking God
Examples of people seeking God
2 Ki 22:11–20 Josiah; 2 Ch 14:2–7 Asa
Jehoshaphat:
Jehoshaphat:
2 Ch 17:3–6; 2 Ch 20:1–4
Ezr 8:21–23 Ezra; Ps 27:4–8; Da 9:2–3; Ac 13:1–3
The consequences of seeking God
The consequences of seeking God
It leads to life
It leads to life
For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:
“Seek me and live;
but do not seek Bethel,
and do not enter into Gilgal
or cross over to Beersheba;
for Gilgal shall surely go into exile,
and Bethel shall come to nothing.”
Seek the Lord and live,
lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,
See also Ro 2:7–8; Ps 69:32
It leads to forgiveness
It leads to forgiveness
if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
See also Is 55:6–7; 2 Ch 30:18–20; Je 26:17–19
It leads to blessing
It leads to blessing
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
See also Ps 24:3–6; Is 65:9–10
It leads to provision
It leads to provision
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
See also Mt 6:31–33
It leads to protection
It leads to protection
One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.
See also Ezr 8:21–23
It leads to understanding and wisdom
It leads to understanding and wisdom
Evil men do not understand justice,
but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.
See also Da 2:17–23
It leads to renewed strength
It leads to renewed strength
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
See also Lk 22:42–43
It leads to rejoicing
It leads to rejoicing
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
See also Ps 105:3; Ps 40:16; Ps 70:4
Hindrances to seeking God
Hindrances to seeking God
Unrighteousness
Unrighteousness
Sow for yourselves righteousness;
reap steadfast love;
break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.
You have plowed iniquity;
you have reaped injustice;
you have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your own way
and in the multitude of your warriors,
See also Is 59:1–2
Pride
Pride
In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;
all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
See also 2 Ch 26:16–18
Trusting in human resources
Trusting in human resources
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help
and rely on horses,
who trust in chariots because they are many
and in horsemen because they are very strong,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel
or consult the Lord!
See also 2 Ch 16:12; Ho 5:13–15
Idolatry
Idolatry
“I will stretch out my hand against Judah
and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal
and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,
those who bow down on the roofs
to the host of the heavens,
those who bow down and swear to the Lord
and yet swear by Milcom,
those who have turned back from following the Lord,
who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.”
See also Ro 1:21–23
Superficial religion
Superficial religion
but do not seek Bethel,
and do not enter into Gilgal
or cross over to Beersheba;
for Gilgal shall surely go into exile,
and Bethel shall come to nothing.”
Seek the Lord and live,
lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,
See also Is 58:1–9
Seeking God through occult practices is forbidden
Seeking God through occult practices is forbidden
So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.
See also Le 20:6; Le 19:31; Dt 18:10–12; 1 Sa 28:4–20; Ac 16:16–18
Consequences of not seeking God
Consequences of not seeking God
Loss of life
Loss of life
but that whoever would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman.
See also Dt 13:6–10
Loss of salvation
Loss of salvation
Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they do not seek your statutes.
