◄ What Does Jeremiah 29:13 Mean? ►

'You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13(NASB)

Verse of the Day

The promises of God pepper the pages of scripture like crystal droplets of sparkling rain, sprinkling life into a dry and dusty desert and scattering hope into the hearts of all God's people. The promises of God tumble and glimmer through the Word of God like a myriad of twinkling stars, peeping through the glowering skies of doubt and sorrow - refreshing the soul, giving hope to the faint-hearted, and providing encouragement to the weary.

Though the context of this verse is Israel's Babylonian captivity and their eventual restoration and redemption, this precious verse states an eternal principle and timeless promise - that the Lord is ever near to all who seek Him, and those that search for Him aright, are certain of finding Him. This is a verse that promises all those who seek the Lord in spirit and in truth, will be sure to find Him, for the Lord has promised, "you shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart."

Israel had been carried into captivity as a consequence of their sin and apostasy, and the people are encouraged by Jeremiah to prepare for a prolonged sojourn in Babylon. They were exhorted to build houses, grow crops, get married, and have children, because God had ordained that the punishment they justly deserved would last for 70 years. Some would die in the land of their captivity, but God had plans for His people. He had plans for their good and not their harm. He had plans to prosper them and to give them a secure future and a great hope.

But during their exile, when they were separated from their promised land, the people were not to forget the Lord. They were to continue to trust Him and teach their children to do the same. And they were given a very special and encouraging promise, "You will seek Me and you will find Me... when you search for Me with all your heart." God would not be lost to His people forever, but they must set their heart to search diligently for the Lord - to search for Him with ALL their heart, ALL their soul, ALL their mind, and ALL their strength.

The promise given to Israel by Jeremiah was that those who earnestly sought the Lord would find Him. They would discover Him to be the godly Way, the singular Truth, and the Path to perfect peace with God. They were given the assurance that those who diligently and conscientiously look for Him, WILL find Him. They will find Him to be the only Way, the singular Truth, and Life eternal. Those that sincerely search for the Lord will gain the abundant Life He promises - a life that only comes through faith in Christ.

The majority of Israel have yet to discover that the One for Whom they are to diligently seek is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is their Messiah, Who came to rescue them at God's appointed time as foretold by Scripture. He is their Kinsman-Redeemer and their Dayspring from on High. He is the prophet of the Most High God and a light to lighten the Gentiles. He is the glory of His people Israel and the One Who will heal their soul and guide their feet into the way of peace.

He is the Word made flesh Who came to dwell among His people and to shine light into their darkened hearts. He came to His own people at God's appointed time - but they did not recognise Him as the only Way, the singular Truth, and Life eternal and He was rejected and cruelly crucified.

As Christians, we already know Him as Jesus our Saviour, for Christ died to bridge the unbridgeable gap between a holy God and the imperfect race of man. But like Israel, we are promised a much deeper knowledge and closer communion with Him, if we will plough into the depths of His Word, reach into the heights of His Truth, and look steadily into the Light of His Countenance - the face of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Like Israel, we have been promised that when we seek Him and search for Him with ALL our heart will find Him. Let us, therefore, with wholeness of heart, fervency of spirit, sincerity of soul, and diligence of mind, freely abandon the good to search for the very best, knowing that ALL who seek the Lord, will find Him to be rest for their soul, healing for their heart, hope for the future, and life everlasting.

Praise God that ALL who seek Him and search for Him have been promised, in His WORD, that He will be everything they need, when they search for Him with their whole heart.

My Prayer

Thank You, Heavenly Father, that I am Your child. I want to know You more and pray that as I seek You through Your Word and come before Your throne of grace, in prayer and praise, You will show me more of Yourself. Instil in my heart a desire to seek You more and search for You with my whole heart, and I pray that I will discover a depth of Your perfect character that I have never seen before. Let me reflect You in thought, word, and deed, as Christ is being formed in me. In His name I pray, AMEN.