SEEKING HEARTS ARE BLESSED (1)

“BLESSED are those who keep His testimonies, who SEEK Him with the WHOLE HEART!” – Psalm 119:2

SEEKING HEARTS are BLESSED: “BLESSED are those who keep His testimonies, who SEEK Him with the WHOLE HEART!” (Psa.119:2). Verse 10 reaffirms: “With my WHOLE HEART have I sought You; O let me not wander from Your commandments”. Many scriptures call God’s people to seek Him continually: “Glory in His holy name; let the HEARTS of those rejoice who SEEK the Lord! SEEK the Lord and His strength; SEEK His face evermore!”(Psa.105:3-4). Two slightly different Hebrew words are translated here as “seek”: The first – darash – means to search with care and intentionality; the second – baqash – implies eagerness and desire. The paraphrase would read: “Carefully search for the LORD and His strength; continually and eagerly desire and seek Him”!

Although we live in an age with many distractions against the pursuit of God, we must not allow the pace of life and the alluring, but ephemeral promises of the world to lead us from seeking God with all of our heart. Throughout life, we pursue many things, most of which are attached to the promise of some reward: a diploma or degree to attain a status; relationships to ease our emotions; a house for shelter; or stocks to secure a financial future. Most folks seem to treasure things of this world more than they seek God’s Kingdom. Meanwhile, in a volatile world where spouses break up, houses burn down, stock markets crumble, and friends betray, God’s Word is the only stable foundation that does not crack under pressure of shift with time or circumstance. His promises are ever true (Psa.89:34). All of His promises are “Yes” in Christ (1Cor.1:20).

Let’s reflect on five of the many benefits we find in seeking God with our whole heart:

LIFE: “SEEK Me that you may LIVE” (Amos 5:4-6). The same God who created life is trustworthy with our lives. He came that we might live abundantly (Jh.10:10). Seeking God ignites the eternity He placed in every heart and sets our mind on eternal things. While the world says, seek fulfilment to find life, God’s word says in seeking Him, we will be fulfilled in life: “The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God” (Psa.69:32).

REST: In seeking the Lord, He promised we’ll find Him – “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer.29:13). In finding Him, we find rest for our weary souls. He is the Source of rest because His yoke is easy; His burden is light (Mt.11:28-30). The Wisdom of God beckons: “I love those who love me, and those who diligently seek me will find me” (Pro. 8:17).

STRENGTH: “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength...” (Isa.40:31a). When our knees become weak from pressure and our hands tremble with fear, He strengthens us in the way. It’s in those lowest moments where His strength shines the brightest, for us to mount with wings and soar above earthly circumstances. We’re instructed to: “Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore” (Psa.105:4; 1Chr.16:11). 2 Chronicles 16:9a assures: “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to how Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”

PROSPERITY: “And in every very work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to SEEK his God, he did it with all his HEART. So he PROSPERED” (2Chr.31:21). This was the testimony concerning King Hezekiah.

JOY and GLADNESS: “Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually, “The Lord be magnified!” (Psa.40:16; 70:4). Joy is found in giving the Master the keys to our hearts: “Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!” (1Chr.16:10). Seeking God’s Presence revives our souls, enlightens our eyes, and causes joy to overflow our hearts: “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psa.16:11).