Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”.
I have heard these instructions before, but do not think I fully understood the completeness and the simplicity of them until today.
At first, when I think of seeking God with all my heart, I get a bit caught up in the massiveness of that thought. If I am seeking God with my whole heart all the time, how do I get anything else done? What exactly does seeking God with your whole heart look like? Is it a day full of meditation and prayer? Is it reading my Bible all day every day? Hmm…Then clarity came.
I have been reading “Jesus Calling, Enjoying Peace in His Presence” a 365-day devotional by Sarah Young, and today’s devotion references this very thing. Within the devotional, she writes “I am the goal of all your searching”. As I read those words the Holy Spirit showed me a clearer picture of how we can seek the Lord with all our hearts.
When you look around, what do you see? Right now, I look out my window and see a bank of clouds that are shielding the beautiful sunshine. It looks cold outside. I can still see the same mountain in the distance, the same trees and shrubs. Nothing has changed except for the cloud cover that greeted me this morning. I see stacks of pictures reminding me of the daunting task of sorting through family memories left by my father that I know will bring emotions that are uncomfortable to experience. Then that little voice in the back of my mind reminds me that there is dirty laundry to be done and that the floors are to be mopped. I am sure this is a very common experience for most of us as we look at our day.
But the Holy Spirit reminded me of something wonderful today. Simple and obvious but something that is overlooked so often.
I look around again, I still see the same bank of clouds shielding the sun, but this time I am looking for God in the clouds and know that those clouds will most likely bring rain, rain that is part of God’s divine plan to provide water that is needed for every living thing. It will provide snow in the mountains that not only make for a beautiful sight to see but also provide water for the summer months. I now can see the beauty of what God has created in nature and am so thankful. I look at the comforts of a roof over my head and all the items surrounding me that make my life easier, knowing that they are a result of blessings given by God.
I look again at the stacks of pictures. I see a life that was not easy and had more than its share of troubles. However, this time I can see the footprints of God throughout this life. I see smiles through heartbreak and strength through the difficulty. I see a boy who grew to be a man who must have lived his life seeking the face of God as it is a face that brought so much joy and love to the lives of all around him. I still feel the pain that comes from loss, but now, thanks to seeking God’s face, I too have smiled through my heartache.
We are very good and overthinking and overcomplicating our lives. There is so much in this world to pull us from where we are meant to rest. When you think of your loved ones, do you ever consider it joy when they struggle? God did not design our relationship with him to be hard. We are the ones that make it so. I encourage you today to seek God with all your heart looking for him in every moment. When you do, you will find him. You will be wrapped in a peace that truly passes all understanding.
God Bless.
Your Friend, Rho
