10/10/2023

This morning, I realized that I have stumbled across yet another Bible verse where we do ourselves a disservice by only reading the one verse and not the accompanying verses or even the entire chapter.

The first time I experienced this was with 2 Chronicles 7:14.

We like to quote that scripture alone and the disservice we do to ourselves is to not read verse 13 also because it tells us what to look for so that we can know when to apply verse 14.

So today I found another one that is just like the one mentioned above, scriptures that are our favorites so we quote only that particular verse when we really need to read the attached verses also.

They all are full of wealth, though the one we quote has a special meaning to us. Today, I was shown yet another one of those verses that we hold dear but need to read more than the one. It is found in Jeremiah 29. I know that by just saying Jeremiah 29 everyone will already know the verse I am referring to.

If you said verse 11 you are correct. This is what it says,

We normally stop there. I normally stopped there. (I say we because I know I am not alone in this.)

Today, I was awakened to hear the Bible reading to me through my ear pods, and it was at this particular section in the reading so I lied in bed just listening to what I was hearing…

… and I heard my favorite verse and thought to myself, “oh that is Jeremiah 29”. I found myself reciting the verse as it was being read to me and where I stopped the reading continued…

It continues… “I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity;

I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord,

and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.”

And I sat straight up saying “that is it!” and jumped out of bed with excitement to lay eyes on what I heard because it was an answer to my prayer.

But as I prepared to write about “being brought out of captivity” my focus was changed to first look at where we are told to seek GOD.

SEEK GOD, How?

It was that part where HE said

“And you will seek Me
and find Me,
WHEN
you search for Me
with all your heart.”

Keyword WHEN

When we call upon GOD, and pray to GOD

When we seek GOD

in order to find GOD

WE HAVE TO BE WHOLE HEARTED TOWARDS GOD

In our worship, in our service, and in our every day lives we need to give GOD our

WHOLE heart
WHOLE mind
WHOLE soul

And Father God said that when we do so, we WILL find HIM

What Does Serving God With Our Whole Heart Look Like?

Psalm 119

א Aleph

¹ Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
    who walk according to the law of the Lord.
² Blessed are those who keep his statutes
    and seek him with all their heart—
³ they do no wrong
    but follow his ways.
⁴ You have laid down precepts
    that are to be fully obeyed.
⁵ Oh, that my ways were steadfast
    in obeying your decrees!
⁶ Then I would not be put to shame
    when I consider all your commands.
⁷ I will praise you with an upright heart
    as I learn your righteous laws.
⁸ I will obey your decrees;
    do not utterly forsake me.

ב Beth

…

¹² Praise be to you, Lord;
    teach me your decrees.
¹³ With my lips I recount
    all the laws that come from your mouth.
¹⁴ I rejoice in following your statutes
    as one rejoices in great riches.
¹⁵ I meditate on your precepts
    and consider your ways.
¹⁶ I delight in your decrees;
    I will not neglect your word.

ג Gimel

…

²³ Though rulers sit together and slander me,
    your servant will meditate on your decrees.
²⁴ Your statutes are my delight;
    they are my counselors.

ד Daleth

²⁵ I am laid low in the dust;
    preserve my life according to your word.
²⁶ I gave an account of my ways and you answered me;
    teach me your decrees.
²⁷ Cause me to understand the way of your precepts,
    that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds.
²⁸ My soul is weary with sorrow;
    strengthen me according to your word.

As much as I want to I will not go through the entire 119th Psalm. Just know that it definitely answers how to be wholehearted towards GOD.

While I shared just a few verses from the wealth found in Psalm 119, I encourage you to read it in its entirety, or better yet, put it on audio, and set it to repeat and let the bible read it to you over and over.

You see, it is important that we meditate on the wealth that is to be found in the word of God because it will keep us when we are being bombarded in this world that is full of disparaging reports. Due to the seemingly never ending onslaught that we receive from this world, this is why it is important for us to seek God, not half heartedly, but with our whole heart.

Lately I have been finding it necessary to declare vocally the greatness of God not just in my life but for all of us every opportunity that I get.

“I believe that there is no one and nothing greater than our Creator, God, our Heavenly Father. I believe that God is all-powerful. I believe that God is all-knowing. I believe that God is all-encompassing. I believe that God is ever-present.”

– Jodi l. Serino-Barbour

This has become necessary because more and more I am encountering wounded warriors. More and more, I am encountering those who believe God with their words, but are succumbing to the bombardment of despair from this world’s reports. How do I know? Because this is what dominates their speech. It appears that many are speaking of their mountains, but not to their mountains.

I have found it hard to understand the anxiety and fear that some have given into when they would hear disparaging reports from man – disparaging health reports, disparaging news reports, and more.

I would remind of what God said only to be told, “Yeah, I know that, but…” as if what man said or what this world would present was greater or held more weight than that of our Creator.

I found myself wondering, “Who are people worshipping today that they would rather trust the report of man over the report of God?

In the Bible, Jesus healed. Jesus delivered. Jesus restored. Jesus provided. Jesus paid a bill by causing a fish to bring the money needed to pay the bill. Jesus even demonstrated His power over death with raising several from the dead – Jairus daughter, the widow of Nain’s son, and Lazarus. Then, after showing on a small scale what He was able to do, He gave up His life, suffering a horrible beating and death to cover us ALL on a large scale.

And let’s not forget that after dying, on the third day, Jesus rose out the grave defeating death and taking the keys to death and the grave so that after showing himself several days to be alive HE returned to heaven with the promise that, as firstborn from the grave, HE will be resurrecting the dead from the grave also. (See Acts 24:15).

When we serve so Great a God, how could we diminish the Greatness of God with fear?

Whose report do you believe – God’s or man’s?

God tells us that in the day of trouble we are to call upon HIM. Could we possibly be guilty of calling upon and seeking everyone else but whom we should be seeking – GOD.

When in trouble who do we call upon?

• marriage mates and our family members?
• church leaders and our governmental leaders?
• peers?

Do we seek out social media and the opinions of man when who we should be seeking and calling upon is GOD Almighty, in the name of Jesus Christ, with the help of the Holy Spirit?

How can we claim to worship someone so GREAT only to diminish Him in power with our fears. Like, that makes no sense.

What ever happened to
Because HE lives I can face tomorrow Because HE lives all fear is gone because I know, I know HE holds my future, life is worth living just because HE lives.

Whatever happened to
I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me

What happened to the faith we claim to have.

This stand cannot be taken without faith. This is why it is important that we build ourselves up on our most holy faith, and this is done by seeking God with all of our heart.

May this encourage and strengthen the faith of the reader, and May you continue to build up your faith so that you are able to endure to the return of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.