Seeking God
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· 23 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 would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
See also 1 Ch 16:11; 1 Ch 22:19; Ps 14:2; Ac 15:16–17; Am 9:11–12; Heb 11:6
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;
And let him return to the Lord,
And He will 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 at that time,” declares the Lord, “the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the Lord their God they will seek.
See also Ho 3:4–5; Ho 5:13–15; Zep 2:3; Zec 8:20–23
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 diligently seek me will find me.
See also Dt 4:29–31; 1 Ch 28:9; 2 Ch 15:1–2; Is 45:19; Je 29:11–14; Mt 7:7–8
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,
“At the acceptable time I listened to you,
And on the day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is “the acceptable 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
When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”
See also 2 Ch 11:16
Wholeheartedness in seeking God is required
Wholeheartedness in seeking God is required
‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
See also Dt 4:27–29; 1 Ch 22:17–19; 2 Ch 15:12–15; Ps 63:1
Seeking God and his kingdom is the priority of life
Seeking God and his kingdom is the priority of life
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
See also Ps 27:4; Mt 13:44–46
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 that you may live.
“But do not resort to Bethel
And do not come to Gilgal,
Nor cross over to Beersheba;
For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity
And Bethel will come to trouble.
“Seek the Lord that you may live,
Or He will break forth like a fire, O house of Joseph,
And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel,
See also Ps 69:32; Ro 2:7–8
It leads to forgiveness
It leads to forgiveness
and 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, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
See also 2 Ch 30:18–20; Is 55:6–7; Je 26:17–19
It leads to blessing
It leads to blessing
How blessed are those who observe His testimonies,
Who seek Him with all their heart.
See also Ps 24:3–6; Is 65:9–10
It leads to provision
It leads to provision
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.
See also Mt 6:31–33
It leads to protection
It leads to protection
One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord
And to meditate in His temple.
For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on 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 all things.
See also Da 2:17–23
It leads to renewed strength
It leads to renewed strength
Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
See also Lk 22:42–43
It leads to rejoicing
It leads to rejoicing
Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.
See also Ps 40:16; Ps 70:4; Ps 105:3
Hindrances to seeking God
Hindrances to seeking God
Unrighteousness
Unrighteousness
Sow with a view to righteousness,
Reap in accordance with kindness;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord
Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.
You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice,
You have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your way, in your numerous warriors,
See also Is 59:1–2
Pride
Pride
The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, 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,
And trust in chariots because they are many
And in horsemen because they are very strong,
But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!
See also 2 Ch 16:12; Ho 5:13–15
Idolatry
Idolatry
“So I will stretch out My hand against Judah
And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place,
And the names of the idolatrous priests along with the priests.
“And those who bow down on the housetops to the host of heaven,
And those who bow down and swear to the Lord and yet swear by Milcom,
And those who have turned back from following the Lord,
And those who have not sought the Lord or inquired of Him.”
See also Ro 1:21–23
Superficial religion
Superficial religion
“But do not resort to Bethel
And do not come to Gilgal,
Nor cross over to Beersheba;
For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity
And Bethel will come to trouble.
“Seek the Lord that you may live,
Or He will break forth like a fire, O house of Joseph,
And it will consume 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 trespass which he committed against the Lord, because of the word of the Lord which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry of it,
and did not inquire of the Lord. Therefore He killed him and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse.
See also Le 19:31; Le 20:6; 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
and whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, 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.