Search for the Lord with All Your Heart
Passage to read: Jeremiah 29:10-14
And when you search for me with all your heart,
you will find me!
(Jeremiah 29: 12, 13)
Search for the Lord with all your heart. And when you search for the Lord with all your heart, you will find Him! This little secret always touched me like a breeze, but it never hit me with the truth, until this time. I have been singing this verse in many of the worship songs. But deep down, I never felt the importance of searching for the Lord with a full heart.
What does it really mean to say 'search for the Lord with all your heart?' What is that big difference between searching for the Lord and searching for Him with all your heart? These are some of the questions that torment me whenever I come across this verse. Am I searching for the Lord with all my heart? Are you searching for the Lord with all your heart?
Search for the Lord with all your Visions and Passions. In every one of our hearts, there are multiples of visions and layers of passions. You have got that burning desire to do something great, to achieve something extra-ordinary. But, have you ever gone before the Lord with all these in your heart? Have you searched the Lord with all these in your heart? Or do you keep these in your 'Worldly Thought Cupboard' whenever you go in front of the Lord to pray? God is inviting you to come in search for Him with all your heart. All your visions, your passions, whatever you are motivated towards, let them join together as one celebration in your heart as you come before the Lord. Search for the Lord with all of them. Only then your whole self is finding Him. Do you think that the Lord has nothing to do with your next production? You think He is not dealing with your next promotion? Do you think He is not aware of your next examination? Our loving and caring God is in control of everything, and there is nothing in your heart that you could keep away from Him. So, when you search for the Lord, search Him with all that is in your heart.
Search for the Lord with all your Likes and Dislikes. There are many thoughts that are ruling our hearts. There are numerous likes that keep us moving towards something, and there are few dislikes which make us avoid a few things. Interestingly, in the long and patient run of faith, many of us keep the Lord away from our likes and dislikes. We search for the Lord on one side, and then we search for our likes, avoiding our dislikes, on the other side. For many of us, what we like with our heart has got nothing to do with our Lord. It is like, we have given Him a portion. Or sometimes, it is like we have rented the Lord our heart for a few hours in a week. But that doesn't work! 24 X 7, 365 days, you need to search for the Lord with all that is in your heart. When you search for the Lord with all your heart, then your life becomes the same in and out, workplace/study place and church, home and away, even in the midst of the worst obstacles. Search for the Lord with all that you have in your heart. Give Him that prominence. Let Him have the priority even in your likes and dislikes. Let Him direct you through your likes, and make you avoid your dislikes.
Search for the Lord with all your Fears and Failures. Some of us go into the presence of the Lord, either in our lonely prayer times or in a fellowship, only with celebration. Indeed, you are called to enter His courts with thanksgiving in your heart and songs of praise, but if you are broken with failures and heavy-laden with fears, God is inviting you to come to Him with all that. Do not have second thoughts. Just come into God's presence with all that you have. Come into His accepting arms with all your heart. If you are broken, come before Him. If you are heavy-laden, come before Him. Just be there as you are. Search for the Lord with whatever condition you are in. And the Lord is ready to accept you. You don't need to hideaway. You have nothing to fear. Just come searching for His wonderful presence in whatever situation you are in. He will accept you. And you will find Him.
Search for the Lord as your Priority. More than any of those points that we have looked above, this one is important. Do you remember preparing for the last exam you wrote? You would have kept everything away, all disturbances away, locked all the doors, kept everything silent and all that you needed was to get everything properly set in your head before you headed to the exam the next day. Do you remember the way you prepared for that celebration of yours or someone in your family? You took leave, you kept all office calls away, set your auto-replies in emails so that you could entirely focus on the work that had to be done. It is just the same here. When you search for the Lord, make Him as your priority. Give Him everything. Let all your concentration be on Him. Let your sole purpose be to find Him in His fullness. And that's one of the reasons why we should find the early mornings to spend with God. It is the best time of the day. You are fresh, feeling relaxed, able to concentrate and fully submit yourself to God. In this era of so much of running around behind our professional, educational and pastoral development, which time of the day have you allocated for God. Out of the 24 hours in your day, have you given God the best hours? Search for the Lord with all your heart!
I am sure, there are many more avenues into which this verse will apply. Bring them on. Share with us. I have just focussed on three important ones. Surely there must be more. Each of you, out of your own experiences, must be having more and more thoughts on what does this 'with all your heart' really means. Share it with us.
I pray that the Lord will help all of us to search for Him with all our hearts. May the grace of Lord Jesus be with us as we approach the Lord with everything that is in our hearts, and may the guidance of the Holy Spirit help us to understand this word more and more. Let us search for the Lord with all our hearts.
May God bless you.
Yours in Christ,
