God desires and commands that we seek Him.
God desires and commands that we seek Him. Not because He needs us though, because the Great I AM, Jehovah is self-existent and He needs nothing we can give Him. That’s what the name ‘Jehovah’ means. He does, however, want us … so much so that He allowed His Son to die a brutal death to make it possible for us to be with Him.
There are commands to seek God in several places in the Bible. In the Old Testament we find 1 Chronicles bringing this message in more than one place. For example, chapter 16 verse 11: “Seek ADONAI and His strength; always seek His presence.” Not only is the word ‘seek’ used twice in this short verse, but also there are two different Hebrew words used. The actual definitions are very similar but the first one means “to follow for pursuit or search, to worship, make inquisition, seek out, seek for.” The second is “to search out by any method specifically in worship or prayer, to strive after, ask, beg, beseech.” So a paraphrase of 1 Chronicles 16:11 could read, ‘Seek out ADONAI and His strength; always search out in prayer and worship, His presence.’
King David said in Psalm 27:8, “My heart said of You, ‘Seek my face.’ Your face, ADONAI, I will seek.” In this passage both times the word ‘seek’ is the same as the second one in the 1 Chronicles scripture above.
We are also commanded to seek God in the New Testament. One place is Matthew 6:33. “But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and these things will be given to you as well.” Here the description of ‘seek’ from the Greek is also the same as the second one in the 1 Chronicles scripture above.
It is obvious that 'seek' is an active verb, not passive. This means to be actively engaged in looking for, hunting for, the treasure of God in this case, rather than keeping the thought in the back of our minds to be recalled if something pertaining to the subject should come up. The scenario could be likened to wanting to go somewhere (fellowship with God) and discovering that our car keys are missing. We don't simply wait for them to turn up while we are doing something else. Nor do we just sit and wait for them to come to us. Likewise, all of us have experienced having a conversation with another person who is otherwise occupied watching TV, cooking, etc. and have experienced first hand the quality of the conversation being adversely affected. We are supposed to fellowship with God continually (KJV) (I Thessalonians 5:17) but it is obvious that halfhearted prayers as we go about our daily duties causes the fellowship with God to suffer seriously, as it does with other people when we do the same to them.
We also find promises in His Word telling us the result of seeking God. First of all we notice that He promises to be found if we seek Him diligently and wholeheartedly.
“However, from there you will seek ADONAI your God; and you will find him if you search after him with all your heart and being.” Deuteronomy 4:29;
When you seek me, you will find me, provided you seek for me wholeheartedly;” Jeremiah 29:13;
"How blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness! for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6;
"Keep asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will find; keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps asking receives; he who keeps seeking finds; and to him who keeps knocking, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8;
"Moreover, I myself say to you: keep asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will find; keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who goes on asking receives; and he who goes on seeking finds; and to him who continues knocking, the door will be opened. Luke 11:9-10
Once He is found by us, He has so much in store for us. Just a few examples;
Amos 5:4,6 – we will survive
2 Chronicles 7:14 – He will forgive our sins and heal our land
Psalm 9:10 – He won't abandon us
Psalm 34:10 – We will lack nothing good
Proverbs 28:5 – We will have understanding.
And as can be expected, the scriptures give us fair warning of the consequences of not seeking God. One such warning is in 2 Chronicles 15:2: “...ADONAI is with you, as long as you are with Him; if you seek Him, you will find Him; but if you abandon Him, He will abandon you.”
God desires and commands that we seek Him. Not because He needs us though, because the Great I AM, Jehovah is self-existent and He needs nothing we can give Him. That’s what the name ‘Jehovah’ means. He does, however, want us … so much so that He allowed His Son to die a brutal death to make it possible for us to be with Him.
There are commands to seek God in several places in the Bible. In the Old Testament we find 1 Chronicles bringing this message in more than one place. For example, chapter 16 verse 11: “Seek ADONAI and His strength; always seek His presence.” Not only is the word ‘seek’ used twice in this short verse, but also there are two different Hebrew words used. The actual definitions are very similar but the first one means “to follow for pursuit or search, to worship, make inquisition, seek out, seek for.” The second is “to search out by any method specifically in worship or prayer, to strive after, ask, beg, beseech.” So a paraphrase of 1 Chronicles 16:11 could read, ‘Seek out ADONAI and His strength; always search out in prayer and worship, His presence.’
King David said in Psalm 27:8, “My heart said of You, ‘Seek my face.’ Your face, ADONAI, I will seek.” In this passage both times the word ‘seek’ is the same as the second one in the 1 Chronicles scripture above.
We are also commanded to seek God in the New Testament. One place is Matthew 6:33. “But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and these things will be given to you as well.” Here the description of ‘seek’ from the Greek is also the same as the second one in the 1 Chronicles scripture above.
It is obvious that 'seek' is an active verb, not passive. This means to be actively engaged in looking for, hunting for, the treasure of God in this case, rather than keeping the thought in the back of our minds to be recalled if something pertaining to the subject should come up. The scenario could be likened to wanting to go somewhere (fellowship with God) and discovering that our car keys are missing. We don't simply wait for them to turn up while we are doing something else. Nor do we just sit and wait for them to come to us. Likewise, all of us have experienced having a conversation with another person who is otherwise occupied watching TV, cooking, etc. and have experienced first hand the quality of the conversation being adversely affected. We are supposed to fellowship with God continually (KJV) (I Thessalonians 5:17) but it is obvious that halfhearted prayers as we go about our daily duties causes the fellowship with God to suffer seriously, as it does with other people when we do the same to them.
We also find promises in His Word telling us the result of seeking God. First of all we notice that He promises to be found if we seek Him diligently and wholeheartedly.
“However, from there you will seek ADONAI your God; and you will find him if you search after him with all your heart and being.” Deuteronomy 4:29;
When you seek me, you will find me, provided you seek for me wholeheartedly;” Jeremiah 29:13;
"How blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness! for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6;
"Keep asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will find; keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps asking receives; he who keeps seeking finds; and to him who keeps knocking, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8;
"Moreover, I myself say to you: keep asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will find; keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who goes on asking receives; and he who goes on seeking finds; and to him who continues knocking, the door will be opened. Luke 11:9-10
Once He is found by us, He has so much in store for us. Just a few examples;
Amos 5:4,6 – we will survive
2 Chronicles 7:14 – He will forgive our sins and heal our land
Psalm 9:10 – He won't abandon us
Psalm 34:10 – We will lack nothing good
Proverbs 28:5 – We will have understanding.
And as can be expected, the scriptures give us fair warning of the consequences of not seeking God. One such warning is in 2 Chronicles 15:2: “...ADONAI is with you, as long as you are with Him; if you seek Him, you will find Him; but if you abandon Him, He will abandon you.”