Seeking God

God’s heart is for people to seek him

God wants people to seek him

Acts 17:27 NLT

“His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.

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God calls people to seek him

Isaiah 55:6–7 NLT

Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

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God promises that people will seek him

Jeremiah 50:4 NLT

“In those coming days,” says the Lord, “the people of Israel will return home together with the people of Judah. They will come weeping and seeking the Lord their God.

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God promises to be found by those who seek him

Proverbs 8:17 NLT

“I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me.

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God’s opportunity for seeking him is now and is restricted to this life

2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT

For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

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Seeking God is an issue of the heart

Seeking God begins in the heart

Psalm 27:8 NLT

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

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Wholeheartedness in seeking God is required

Jeremiah 29:13 NLT

If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

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Seeking God and his kingdom is the priority of life

Matthew 6:33 NLT

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

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Examples of people seeking God

Josiah; Asa

Jehoshaphat:

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Ezra; ; ;

The consequences of seeking God

It leads to life

Amos 5:4–6 NLT

Now this is what the Lord says to the family of Israel: “Come back to me and live! Don’t worship at the pagan altars at Bethel; don’t go to the shrines at Gilgal or Beersheba. For the people of Gilgal will be dragged off into exile, and the people of Bethel will be reduced to nothing.” Come back to the Lord and live! Otherwise, he will roar through Israel like a fire, devouring you completely. Your gods in Bethel won’t be able to quench the flames.

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It leads to forgiveness

2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

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It leads to blessing

Psalm 119:2 NLT

Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.

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It leads to provision

Psalm 34:8–10 NLT

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

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It leads to protection

Psalm 27:4–5 NLT

The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

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It leads to understanding and wisdom

Proverbs 28:5 NLT

Evil people don’t understand justice, but those who follow the Lord understand completely.

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It leads to renewed strength

Isaiah 40:30–31 NLT

Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

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It leads to rejoicing

1 Chronicles 16:10 NLT

Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord.

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Hindrances to seeking God

Unrighteousness

Hosea 10:12–13 NLT

I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’ “But you have cultivated wickedness and harvested a thriving crop of sins. You have eaten the fruit of lies— trusting in your military might, believing that great armies could make your nation safe.

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Pride

Psalm 10:4 NLT

The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead.

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Trusting in human resources

Isaiah 31:1 NLT

What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

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Idolatry

Zephaniah 1:4–6 NLT

“I will crush Judah and Jerusalem with my fist and destroy every last trace of their Baal worship. I will put an end to all the idolatrous priests, so that even the memory of them will disappear. For they go up to their roofs and bow down to the sun, moon, and stars. They claim to follow the Lord, but then they worship Molech, too. And I will destroy those who used to worship me but now no longer do. They no longer ask for the Lord’s guidance or seek my blessings.”

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Superficial religion

Amos 5:5–6 NLT

Don’t worship at the pagan altars at Bethel; don’t go to the shrines at Gilgal or Beersheba. For the people of Gilgal will be dragged off into exile, and the people of Bethel will be reduced to nothing.” Come back to the Lord and live! Otherwise, he will roar through Israel like a fire, devouring you completely. Your gods in Bethel won’t be able to quench the flames.

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Seeking God through occult practices is forbidden

1 Chronicles 10:13–14 NLT

So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He failed to obey the Lord’s command, and he even consulted a medium instead of asking the Lord for guidance. So the Lord killed him and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

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Consequences of not seeking God

Loss of life

2 Chronicles 15:13 NLT

They agreed that anyone who refused to seek the Lord, the God of Israel, would be put to death—whether young or old, man or woman.

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Loss of salvation

Psalm 119:155 NLT

The wicked are far from rescue, for they do not bother with your decrees.