WFW: Seeking God With all the Heart

Last week in her WFW, the_other_alice talked about 2 Corinthians 3:14-18 and how we should be loving the Lord with all of our hearts instead of looking at ourselves. I did some further study on this topic; I studied the Greek words, and her is what I came up with: 2 Cor 3:14, 16-18 14 But their minds were petrified/hardened: for until this day the same covering to conceal and keep secret remains unlifted in the reading of the old testament, which covering is loosed, abolished, made void, and destroyed and you are delivered from it in Christ... 16 Nevertheless when one converts [to the Lord], turns quite around, and does a self-about [or an about face] the covering to conceal the secrets shall be removed all around [as a circuit], carried away, pardoned, burned, and expiated [to suffer for wrongdoing] so that you can be a green tree which bears more fruit. 17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom, not slavery. 18 But we all, with uncovered and unhidden face, gazing with wide-open eyes at the glory of the Lord, as at something remarkable, closely inspecting the mirrored reflection [of Him], and taking heed to it, are fashioned and transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Today, I was looking up something that seemed to be totally unrelated (though I know everything in the Bible goes together in some way), and I saw that in order to really, truly seek God, we need to have a pure heart if we really want to find Him.
So, here in 2 Corinthians, we have an example of one whose heart has become pure, after looking into God's Word and seeing who He made him to be (see James 1:25 -- looking into the perfect law of liberty and continuing in it); he does not have a heart of stone, anymore, because Christ has taken away the covering and exposed the hidden things in his heart, so that they can be dealt with, and he is mirroring Christ.
Jeremiah 17:10 says, "I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings."
When His light exposes our deep secrets, those that we hold inside our hearts and hope nobody sees, He can deal with them so that our hearts can be pure. He doesn't want anyone to perish; He gives us many chances to repent, but sometimes, people harden their hearts.
Therefore, Hebrews 3:13,15 warns, "But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. ...while it is said: 'Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden [Greek: to indurate; stubborn; dry; to parch ] your hearts as in the rebellion.'"
Matthew 7:7-8 states, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." Proverbs tells us to "seek her [wisdom, and Jesus is our wisdom] as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures" (Prov. 2:4). Now, when someone is searching for a buried treasure, they don't half-heartedly dig and hope that they'll find something; they know what they're looking for, and they're going to get it because they have their heart set on finding that treasure. They keep digging and digging and searching and searching until they find it, if they really want it. That's how we need to seek God, and of course, when you search for something hard enough, you will find it. Matthew 6:33 exhorts us to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
I think these two Scriptures sum it up best:Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

Comments

  1. AnonymousWednesday, September 16, 2009 at 3:32:00 PM EDT

    I know what you are saying is definitely true. We never do a half-hearted search, "Oh maybe I'll find it somewhere". If we really want it, we will look everywhere all day until we find it. Since the Bible tells us we need to search for Him like that, we need to study His word until we really know Him. Great post!!
    (Thanks for linking to me!)

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  2. AnonymousSaturday, September 19, 2009 at 9:50:00 PM EDT

    So true, Miss S. And as I've finally found the time to make the rounds of WFW this week, I am noticing a common theme. It would appear that God is calling His people to come closer. He loves us so, and He's so very jealous of all the attention we give to other less important things.

    Thanks for this. It's all giving me much food for thought.

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  3. RebeccaSunday, September 20, 2009 at 10:34:00 PM EDT

    Oooo this is just RICH with so many good things!!!

    Yes, if we center in on ourselves, even as good intentioned that may be, we will quickly lose sight of the good path we need to be on. Plus, when I look at myself, I tend to get repulsed. :-p Better to fill up one's vision with Christ! He is the lovely one!

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