Topical Bible: Seeking God: Imperative Upon All

◄ Seeking God: Imperative Upon All ►

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The concept of seeking God is a central theme throughout the Bible, emphasizing the necessity and urgency for all individuals to pursue a relationship with the Creator. This pursuit is not merely a suggestion but an imperative that carries profound spiritual significance and eternal implications.

Biblical Foundation

The call to seek God is woven throughout the Scriptures, beginning in the Old Testament. In Deuteronomy 4:29, Moses exhorts the Israelites, "But if from there you will seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul." This verse underscores the wholehearted devotion required in the pursuit of God, highlighting that seeking Him is not a passive endeavor but an active, intentional pursuit.

The Psalms frequently echo this theme, portraying the deep longing and earnest desire to know God. Psalm 27:8 states, "My heart said, 'Seek His face.' Your face, O LORD, I will seek." Here, the psalmist reflects an internal prompting to seek God, indicating that this pursuit is both a personal and communal responsibility.

Prophetic Urgency

The prophets also emphasize the urgency of seeking God. Isaiah 55:6-7 urges, "Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon." This passage highlights the time-sensitive nature of seeking God, suggesting that there are opportune moments when God is especially accessible.

Jeremiah 29:13 further reinforces this imperative: "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." The promise of finding God is contingent upon the sincerity and intensity of the search, indicating that a half-hearted approach is insufficient.

New Testament Continuation

In the New Testament, the call to seek God continues with renewed emphasis. Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, instructs, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). This directive places the pursuit of God and His kingdom as the foremost priority in the life of a believer, above all earthly concerns.

The Apostle Paul, in his address to the Athenians, declares, "God intended that they 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). This statement affirms the accessibility of God to all people and the universal call to seek Him.

Spiritual Implications

Seeking God is not merely an intellectual exercise but a transformative journey that impacts every aspect of life. Hebrews 11:6 asserts, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." This verse highlights the faith component inherent in seeking God, as well as the assurance of divine reward for those who diligently pursue Him.

The pursuit of God leads to a deeper understanding of His character, will, and purposes. It fosters spiritual growth, maturity, and intimacy with the Creator. As believers seek God, they are conformed more into the image of Christ, experiencing the fullness of life that He offers.

Practical Application

The imperative to seek God calls for practical application in the life of a believer. This includes regular prayer, meditation on Scripture, worship, and fellowship with other believers. It involves a continual turning away from sin and a turning towards God, aligning one's life with His will and purposes.

In summary, seeking God is a fundamental and non-negotiable aspect of the Christian faith. It is a call to all people, inviting them into a dynamic and life-giving relationship with the Creator, who desires to be known and found by those who earnestly seek Him.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 8:19
And when they shall say to you, Seek to them that have familiar spirits, and to wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek to their God? for the living to the dead?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

God's Fellow-Workers
... region of society or life, is seeking to effect ... A fellow-labourer with God will surely
never ... Christian activity which are made imperative upon Christian people ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/gods fellow-workers.htm

The Hopeless Condition of the Left-Behind Ones.
... Their seeking will be in vain, because they have delayed the all-important ... Servants
of God had faithfully set before them their imperative need of ...
/.../pink/the redeemers return/2 the hopeless condition of.htm

'A Dew from the Lord'
... that the churches of England are awake to the imperative obligation of ... If God spared
not ... all that is done"on the selfish ground of only seeking the advantage ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/a dew from the lord.htm

Sovereignty of God in Administration
... Surely every reader now sees the point we are seeking to make: Deny that God ... Thus
we have sought to show the need, the imperative need, for God to occupy ...
/.../pink/the sovereignty of god/chapter three sovereignty of god.htm

Cannot and Can
... suggest great Christian blessedness and imperative Christian duties ... be converted
into a blessed seeking which finds ... capable of passing into the presence of God. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/cannot and can.htm

Instructions for Fishermen
... of Israel,' that this strange imperative command, inexplicable ... that if all the good,
God-fearing, Christ ... obedience to Christ's voice, and seeking His direction ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/instructions for fishermen.htm

The Fear of God.
... to the creature who recognizes in himself no imperative good; who ... man of evil, the
man of self-seeking design, not ... When God is no longer the ruler of the world ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macdonald/unspoken sermons/the fear of god.htm

Concentration in Prayer
... We have put off and put off that imperative duty,"that ... heaven and earth; not so much
seeking God as seeing ... describing, first my own children to God, and then ...
/.../whyte/lord teach us to pray/xix concentration in prayer.htm

God's Need of Men who Pray
... He is, today, seeking the lost and He would ... God's great plan for the redemption of
mankind is as ... Father, bearing on its frontage the imperative, universal and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bounds/the weapon of prayer/iv gods need of men.htm

The Power of Meditation
... you pray: if you will no longer ask God to grant ... you will remember only that you
are seeking the Truth ... to advance, for the demands of the spirit are imperative. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/allen/the way of peace/the power of meditation.htm