Seek Him

Jeremiah 29: 11-14

"11 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.12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.14 I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

We all know Jeremiah 29:11... or maybe I should say we recognize the scripture address... if you've been in any Christian bookstore it's plastered all over. If you've ever been anywhere that has a Christian something or other there's a good chance that you've seen this passage. You may not know what it says but you've seen it. 29:11 states that the Lord knows the plans he has for us; to prosper us, not harm us and give us hope for the future. Pretty basic, if you ask me.

I feel this passage has become extremely generic. In my opinion, it's taken the place of John 3:16, which seemed to be one of the most popular bible passages known to man. You know the one, "for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life". Yep, I knew you knew it. Well, now we know this one "for I know the plans I have for you...." that's usually all that is read or followed or trusted.

The part that gets to me is that we've missed the mark. Yeah, God knows the plans he has set for us... Of course he does!! Didn't he also tell us that He knew us before we were in the womb! I feel like saying, "NO DUH!!"

Jeremiah 1:5  "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

I think what we need to remember is Jeremiah 29:12-13 "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Isn't this more powerful than "i know the plans I have set out for you"? I think so... God is telling Jeremiah... "seek me and you will find me". I will find HIM!! All we have to do is go looking and he'll be there...  It's that simple... didn't Christ tell us the same thing... Matthew 7: 7-8 "7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

God wants you back! Jesus wants to open the door for you in his Father's Kingdom! They miss you! They want you right there, with them in the KINGDOM... All we have to do is seek!
 
I'm here to tell you it's really that simple. All we have to do is seek Him out. He is really easy to find because He wants to be found. When we find Him he can finish those plans he has for us. 

I believe this will all my heart!