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You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

~ Jeremiah 29:13



Good morning dear Sister!

Have you ever had a hard time finding God? I’m sorry to say that, at times, I have. Even though we know that He’s always with us and promises never to leave us, we’re not always aware of His presence. It’s not like we don’t ‘hear’ Him. In His mercy He speaks to each one of us every day, all day! (You’re still breathing, right?) It’s more like we’re not listening.

It reminds me of watching my grandson absorbed in his play. He doesn’t hear anything outside of the realm of whatever is going on in his two year old mind. Even though I’m the one keeping his little world stable and meeting all his needs; while he is busy discovering and learning about his environment he isn’t listening for my voice. He loves me, I know, and he sure knows who to come to when he needs something, but, as long as he's comfortable, he’s distracted.

Is it too far-fetched to think that we, as God’s children, might be the same way? We get busy with stuff, we wander off the path, we get distracted, cranky and tired. Then, we finally get hungry and go looking for a source of nourishment. The Source.

Praise God that He is always there for us, but isn’t it interesting that He says we will find Him when we seek Him with all of our hearts? He doesn’t want us to just yell for Him from another room, hoping He’ll come running. I can just imagine how I would respond if my toddler grandson yelled for me to come to him because he was too busy to find me. We live to serve Him, not the other way around!

So what does it mean to seek God with all our heart? In a recent sermon, Pastor G spoke about seeking God and putting Him first in every aspect of our lives. When we invite God into our thoughts, decisions and activities, we avail ourselves of the opportunity to act according to His will, not necessarily our own.

To seek God with our whole heart means to put aside our own wishes and desires to make room for His wishes and desires. Does that sound scary? I used to think so, before I came to know God’s true character, but looking back, I see that I have been transformed from a place of bitterness, anxiety and lack to the love, peace and abundance of the kingdom of God! God’s ideas for me have always been better than my ideas for myself!

As parents, we want the best for our children & grandchildren and delight in them seeking us out to share their hearts. How much more does God, our creator, delight in His children coming to Him?

Once we come to the place of wanting to find what God is thinking, how do we go about seeking Him? One good start is to put aside all distractions and excuses and focus on a time of prayer devoted to seeking Him. (I’m writing to myself here!)

God most often speaks to us in His Word. Spending time reading the Bible will illuminate the Lord’s insight and wisdom. (I love those lightbulb moments!) You can consult your concordance or even G**gle words or topics of verses that pertain to your thoughts.

My beloved husband keeps reminding me that prayer AND fasting is an effective way to seek and find God. Admittedly, fasting is not my favorite, but quieting down the flesh allows the still small voice of God to be heard.

So, be encouraged my dear sister, no matter what our circumstances look like, God promises that we will find Him if we seek Him with a sincere willingness to listen to what He has to say. A wonderful transformation of our minds and hearts begins as we grow in trust and faith in our Abba! And, with practice, our spiritual ears become better attuned to His voice.

I would love to hear your testimony of what God has done for you when you have looked for Him and found Him! Let’s encourage one another onward and upward!

Keep loving Jesus and moving forward!

With love, your sister, Celeste

(write me!)