And you will seek me, and find me, when you search for me with all your heart. – Jeremiah 29:13
Introduction:
From our theme for the month, we have established that possessing God is a personal effort. David called God “My Shepherd” as an outcome of His experience of God, which makes him draw a conclusion and share his experience of God with us.
Today, God is teaching us also how to have experiential knowledge of Him in our daily work with Him so as to encounter Christ and share the reward that comes with it.
Requirements for Pursuing or Seeking God- Jeremiah 29:13:
God was speaking to the household of Israel in captivity, yet He was addressing them individually. It was “You” and not “They or Them”
This implies that even in congregation, He still addresses us in personal and unique ways just for the individuals to respond appropriately. Some of these prerequisites are as follows:
1. It is a personal call: The responsibility to pursue God must come out of the willful determination and commitment to do so.
2. It must be genuine: Only the genuine search of God will produce encounters. God does not honour insincere pursuit – Psalm 78:36-37; Matt.15:8. But they deceived Him with their mouths and lied to Him with their tongues. Their hearts were disloyal to Him, and they were unfaithful to His covenant
3. It originates from the heart: Flesh cannot seek Him. Your heart is the centre of true pursuit. If it’s not in your heart, it cannot be in your hands.
4. It calls for the entirety of the seeker – Deut. 4:29-31; Psalm 119:2: This is in line with the concept of loving God “with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” as stated in the Bible, particularly in Matthew 22:37; Deut. 6:5.
Consider all these requirements in the following seekers of God – Psalm 34:
DAVID
– Psalm 63:8 – “My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.” David’s commitment to pursue God is evident in his desire to follow closely behind Him
PAUL
– Philippians 3:12-14 Paul writes, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Paul’s commitment to pursue God is evident in his determination to press on toward his goal.
JACOB
Jacob’s Encounter at Peniel (Genesis 32:22-33).
Jacob’s determination to pursue God is evident in his refusal to let go of the angel until he received a blessing (Genesis 32:26).
– This encounter marked a turning point in Jacob’s life, as he was renamed Israel and began to walk in a new identity (Genesis 32:28).
MOSES
Moses’ Encounter with God (Exodus 3:1-4:17)
– Moses’ pursuit of God is evident in his willingness to turn aside and investigate the burning bush (Exodus 3:3).
God’s response to Moses’ curiosity was to reveal Himself and commission Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery (Exodus 3:10).
What about men like Timothy, Ruth, Job, Daniel, they all pursue God until God possess them
IMPLICATIONS OF PURSUING GOD
Let this get this into our being. Whoever seeks Him shall find Him (Seeker find Him)
In Jer. 29:13, Here is a truth for all men to know, understand, and experience. God can be found, can be known. He hears prayer and answers those who seek with the whole heart (Deut 4:29; Hos 10:12; Matt 7:7-8; Luke 11:5-10; 18:1).
Pursuing or Seeking God does not mean to travel to some holy place or other. God is everywhere, and seeking Him means to turn from our sins to Him and pray for His mercy and forgiveness and guidance.
God is Spirit (John 4:24), to pursue Him must be done in Spirit and in absolute truth
Pursuing God is a call to know God deeply-Phil 3:10, forsaking every other thing (Phil.3:8-9).
It is a pursuit of intimacy with God leading to Christ manifesting in you
Outcome of Pursuing God- Heb.11:6
God unfold to them what must be done to experience the best of God and what He has in store for them (Jeremiah 29:11-14).
Up to date, when God invites us as His children to pursue or seek Him, it is for a pleasant, sweet, and higher purpose, namely:
* Matt 11:28- Pursuing God brings about divine rest
* Matt. 6:33 Seeking God brings about all round provision and satisfaction
* Isaiah 55:1- God quenches the thirst of every seeker
* Matt. 7:7-8,11- The pursuit of God brings about different dimensions of divine response and good gifts from God
* Isaiah 55:3; Psalm 23:6. Life and Sure mercy are the lots of those who seek God- Isaiah 55:3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you— The sure mercies of David.
* II Cor.3:18- Glorious transformation shall be the experience of anyone who desires God
CONCLUSION
This verse emphasizes the importance of seeking God with a wholehearted commitment. When you pursue God with all your heart, you can expect to:
– Find Him (Jeremiah 29:13)
– Experience His presence and guidance (Psalm 119:10)
– Receive His blessings and favour (Psalm 84:11)
As you pursue God, remember that:
– He is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)
– He is near to those who call upon Him (Psalm 145:18)
– He delights in those who seek Him with a pure heart (Proverbs 11:20)
PRAYER
May your pursuit of God be filled with passion, purpose, and a deepening relationship with Him!