Are You Willing to Seek Him?

I believe many Christians live in a state of dissatisfaction regarding their relationship with the Lord. They talk about wanting to have a close relationship with Him, but never seem to attain what they say they strive for. The Bible reveals that it is possible to live in close communion with the Lord. He has made Himself available to us. Jeremiah 29:13 tells us we will find Him when we search for Him with all our heart. So, if we are unhappy with our present relationship with the Lord, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

I can speak about this because I have been there. I have been guilty of spending excessive amounts of time watching TV or surfing the Internet, and then being distressed because I felt such a sense of spiritual emptiness. It is easy to lose valuable time on things that really add nothing beneficial to our lives, and then find ourselves making the statement that we do not have time for personal devotions.
In this life, most of us basically do what we want to do. If something is important to us, we find a way to fit it into our schedules. What does this tell you about your prayer life, about your time in the Word? Are these high on your priority list? Are they truly important to you? Or are these important spiritual disciplines always being relegated to the back burner? For some, I think it is like the diet they plan to go on – tomorrow. It never happens. Or it is started for a day or two, and then abandoned for the old routine.

I used to be a TV addict. Now, I only occasionally sit down to watch it. I was honest with the Lord and told Him I knew my desires were not in line with what He wanted for my life, but that I felt totally incapable of changing. I asked Him to change my desires. Thankfully, I am in the process of being transformed. I am nowhere near perfection. I have not arrived. The song He’s Still Working on Me* definitely applies.

Take a look at the verse I referenced above: And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

As I read this verse recently, I decided to write down what came to mind when I thought about searching for Him with all my heart. What does that mean? Here are the thoughts that came to me: Searching in earnest; putting your whole self into the search; diligently searching; laying aside anything that would hinder the search; searching is all important, crowding out other activities.

God, I am hungry for You. I want to know and experience You in ways I never have before. Change me. Make me capable of knowing You the way I desire to. Help me to always make our relationship my first priority.

If you are hungry for God, begin to seek His face. Ask Him to help you conform to His desires and His will for your life. He will answer. As you move in God’s direction, He will surely move toward you! (James 4:8)

*He’s Still Working on Me, by Joel Hemphill.