Seeking God (2)
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· 2 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 the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every 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 ye the Lord while he may be found,
Call ye upon him while he is near:
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts:
And let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon 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, saith the Lord,
The children of Israel shall come,
They and the children of Judah together,
Going and weeping: they shall go,
And seek the Lord their God.
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 them that love me;
And those that seek me early shall 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 saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted 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 thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee,
Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
See also 2 Ch 11:16
Wholeheartedness in seeking God is required
Wholeheartedness in seeking God is required
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall 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 ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto 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 saith the Lord unto the house of Israel,
Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
But seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal,
And pass not to Beer-sheba:
For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity,
And Beth-el shall come to nought.
Seek the Lord, and ye shall live;
Lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
And devour it, and there be none to quench it in Beth-el.
See also Ps 69:32; Ro 2:7–8
It leads to forgiveness
It leads to forgiveness
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and 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
Blessed are they that keep his testimonies,
And that seek him with the whole 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:
Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
O fear the Lord, ye his saints:
For there is no want to them that fear him.
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger:
But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
See also Mt 6:31–33
It leads to protection
It leads to protection
One thing have I desired 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 behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion:
In the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me;
He shall set me up upon a rock.
See also Ezr 8:21–23
It leads to understanding and wisdom
It leads to understanding and wisdom
Evil men understand not judgment:
But they that seek the Lord understand all things.
See also Da 2:17–23
It leads to renewed strength
It leads to renewed strength
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall:
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings as eagles;
They shall run, and not be weary;
And they shall walk, and not faint.
See also Lk 22:42–43
It leads to rejoicing
It leads to rejoicing
Glory ye in his holy name:
Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.
See also Ps 40:16; Ps 70:4; Ps 105:3
Hindrances to seeking God
Hindrances to seeking God
Unrighteousness
Unrighteousness
Sow to yourselves in righteousness,
Reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow ground:
For it is time to seek the Lord,
Till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity;
Ye have eaten the fruit of lies:
Because thou didst trust in thy way,
In the multitude of thy mighty men.
See also Is 59:1–2
Pride
Pride
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God:
God is not in all his thoughts.
See also 2 Ch 26:16–18
Trusting in human resources
Trusting in human resources
Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help;
And stay on horses,
And trust in chariots, because they are many;
And in horsemen, because they are very strong;
But they look not unto the Holy One of Israel,
Neither seek the Lord!
See also 2 Ch 16:12; Ho 5:13–15
Idolatry
Idolatry
I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah,
And upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place,
And the name of the Chemarims with the priests;
And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops;
And them that worship and that swear by the Lord,
And that swear by Malcham;
And them that are turned back from the Lord;
And those that have not sought the Lord, nor inquired for him.
See also Ro 1:21–23
Superficial religion
Superficial religion
But seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal,
And pass not to Beer-sheba:
For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity,
And Beth-el shall come to nought.
Seek the Lord, and ye shall live;
Lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
And devour it, and there be none to quench it in Beth-el.
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 transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it; And inquired not of the Lord: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto 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
That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
See also Dt 13:6–10
Loss of salvation
Loss of salvation
Salvation is far from the wicked:
For they seek not thy statutes.