Seek the Lord while He may be found

Today’s scripture comes  from the book of Hebrews Chapter 11 verse 6. 

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 

Another verse instantly came  to mind from the Book of Jeremiah, a prophet during the years of the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon’s temple. Chapter 29 verses 11 through 13 were part of a letter Jeremiah wrote to the people in exile. It reads:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

How do we seek God with all our hearts? These people in exile must have struggled to believe that God exists just as we do today in difficult circumstances. It is easy to be paralyzed, afraid to act, when we don’t know the right way forward. 

This is a time when our community of Christian believers can help, we can solicit advice and counsel from those who may have experience in what we are facing. We often hear the adage “Wait on God” and it’s tempting to just do nothing.  When we have a discussion with a friend we usually don’t wait weeks to figure out what it meant. Do we put God on hold because we are too afraid to step forward? 

The times I’ve made a choice to move forward even while I’m unsure, it has quickly become apparent if I’m moving  the wrong way! Even a bad outcome can be a good example. Are we seeking God in all the ways we can? He may be speaking through those around us, through events, and through study. 

Will you pray with me?

Loving God, help us to have ears to hear you in all the ways You speak to us, minds to discern, and hearts to put your words into practice. Amen. 

This devotion was written by Leslie and Owen Ragland.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.