Letters From Grandpa #370

LETTERS FROM GRANDPA

• 370

Dearest grandchild,

Todays’s letter will deal with Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

God, as you know, is “omnipresent”. He is everywhere! Unfortunately, however, most people still will not find Him. The main reason they won’t find Him is because they are not looking for Him. Finding God is not very high on their list of priorities. Paul reminded the philosophers on Mar’s Hill that God determined the time when they would be born and the exact places where they would live. He then added: “God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17:27). Even though God specifically created each of us so that we would reach out and seek for Him, most people won’t do it. Most people are interested in almost anything and everything but God. Remember! The thief on the cross waited until the last minutes of his life to confess Christ. He only thought seriously about God when he was dying! Following his example is too great a gamble to take. The thief knew he was going to die in a few minutes, but most people do not know when they are going to die. Jesus once told of 5 wise virgins and 5 foolish virgins (Matt. 25:1-13). The 5 wise virgins prepared in advance to meet the Bridegroom and if we are wise we will do the same.

The Scriptures teach that “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God” (Ex. 20:5). God is jealous! He is not happy when someone ignores. No Bridegroom is happy when his bride ignores him or loves someone else more than she loves him. This is not a peripheral issue. The first and most important command in the Bible is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mk. 12:30). When you love God this much you will find Him. As Jeremiah said: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

The book of Ecclesiastes records King Solomon’s search for happiness. Solomon said: “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure” (Eccl. 2:10). Throughout the whole book he listed all of the things he did, and all of the things he bought, in an effort to be happy. It didn’t work! Solomon “hated life” (Eccl. 2:17). Finally he found the answer and revealed it in the last two verses of Ecclesiastes: “Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Eccl. 12:13-14). Unfortunately, most people will not be as diligent as Solomon and will die without preparing to meet God! (Matt. 7:13-14)

When it comes to love, lukewarmness is not a virtue. No one should marry someone whose love for them in only “lukewarm”. It is this kind of love that God rightly rejects (Rev. 3:16). The great heroes and heroines in the Bible were not lukewarm in their love and devotion to God.

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Nehemiah sought for God will all his heart. When he heard that Jerusalem was in ruins he mourned day and night for four long months. He said: “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” (Neh 1:4) Nehemiah, as you know, returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the walls.

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Ezra was also a man who sought God with all his heart. He devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law and teaching its decrees to the people of God (Ezra 7:10). When he realized that the people of God did not really care about the Law of God he said: “When I

heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled.” (Ezra 9:3) While the people didn’t care about the Law of God, Ezra did!

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Daniel too sought for God with all of his heart. For three weeks he mourned, fasted, and prayed to understand the revelation of God (Dan. 10:1-3). When God responded to his prayers with a vision, Daniel wrote: “I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves.” (Dan 10:7) The men with Daniel knew something awesome was taking place, but didn’t know what it was. Apparently they were not seeking for God with all their heart like Daniel was.

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Saul of Tarsus was seeking for God with all his heart, that’s why he found Him. On the Damascus Road Jesus appeared to Saul in a blinding vision. Jesus, as you know, spoke to Saul in the Hebrew (or Aramaic) tongue and told him what to do (Acts 26:14). Those who were with Saul saw the same light that he saw, and heard the same words that he heard. Even though these men were Hebrews “they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking” (Acts 22:9) Why not? Apparently Saul was the only man there seeking for God with all of his heart.

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Jesus, of course, was also seeking God with all of His heart. He always did those things that were pleasing to God (Jn. 8:29). As Jesus approached the hour of His supreme sacrifice He prayed that the name of God would be glorified. Then God responded with a voice from heaven: “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” (John 12:28) Remarkably, no one understood those words but Jesus. Some thought it thundered. Others thought an angel had spoken. God, however, is a Jealous God and will not reveal Himself to those who have only a casual interest in knowing Him.

Do you want to find God? He isn’t far away! He is right there beside you! If you seek Him with all your heart you will find Him!

I love you,

Grandpa Boyce