"For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13 NKJV
God was speaking here about His people who were in exile. He was always thinking of them and He tells them that, they will find Him when they search for Him with all of their hearts. They had been in exile for many years and had often cried half-hearted prayers for Him to rescue them. However, the only way that He would hear them and liberate them was when they made Him the centre of their life. He must be number one; when He is, then He will hear and bring them to freedom.
It's interesting here that this verse is still relevant for each of us today. God demands first place in our lives; He will settle for no other way. If we totally surrender to Him - 100% - then, and only then, will He constantly hear us and bless us. He continually thinks about us. He thinks about us when we are walking in the Spirit and, He thinks about us when we are walking on the banks of lust, ready to fall in. At this crucial time, He longs for us to shout to Him to rescue us. However, this depends on the degree of commitment that we give Him. If we're walking flat out with Him, we're unlikely to fall into sin, we can but, it's unlikely. If our commitment is YoYo style - up one minute, down the other, then it is likely that we may consider temptation. I did say may consider, not will consider. Many of us can be tempted but immediately count the cost and walk away from the temptation. Others, may linger, considering for too long and, fall to it.
It all comes down to our commitment to Jesus. Many genuine Christians have fallen to the temptations of lust in various forms. They didn't go looking for it but, a seed may have been planted in their mind and, as they continued focusing on it, the seed has grown and given birth: 'But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.' James 1:14-15.
Please pay attention to the latter part of our text today: 'And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." We have a decision to make, to have God in our life 24/7 or when you think about Him, which sometimes is often and, other times periodically.
God thinks about you all the time; why not try thinking about Him in the same manner.
Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.
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