Topical Bible: Seeking God: Includes Seeking: His Name

◄ Seeking God: Includes Seeking: His Name ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

Seeking God is a central theme throughout the Bible, emphasizing the importance of pursuing a relationship with the Creator. This pursuit is not merely an intellectual exercise but a heartfelt endeavor that involves the whole being—mind, heart, and soul. The act of seeking God is portrayed as a journey that leads to spiritual growth, understanding, and ultimately, a deeper connection with God Himself.

Biblical Foundation

The Bible consistently encourages believers to seek God with diligence and sincerity. In the Old Testament, the call to seek God is often associated with obedience and devotion. For instance, in Deuteronomy 4:29 , it is written, "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 necessity of wholeheartedness in the pursuit of God.

The Psalms frequently echo this sentiment, portraying the psalmists' deep longing for God's presence. Psalm 27:8 states, "My heart said, 'Seek His face.' Your face, O LORD, I will seek." Here, seeking God is depicted as a response to an inner calling, a desire to encounter the divine.

In the New Testament, Jesus Himself emphasizes the importance of seeking God. In Matthew 6:33 , He instructs, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." This directive places the pursuit of God and His kingdom as the foremost priority in the life of a believer.

Seeking: His Name

The concept of seeking God's name is deeply rooted in the understanding of His character and attributes. In biblical times, a name was more than a mere label; it represented the essence and identity of a person. Thus, seeking God's name involves a desire to know Him more intimately and to understand His nature.

The prophet Isaiah highlights the significance of God's name in Isaiah 26:8 : "Yes, we wait for You, O LORD; we walk in the path of Your judgments. Your name and renown are the desire of our souls." This verse illustrates the longing for God's name as a reflection of His glory and reputation.

In the New Testament, the name of Jesus is central to the Christian faith. Acts 4:12 declares, "Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Seeking the name of Jesus is synonymous with seeking salvation and the fullness of life that comes through Him.

Practical Implications

Seeking God requires intentionality and commitment. It involves prayer, meditation on Scripture, and a lifestyle that reflects a desire to know and honor God. The Bible assures believers that those who earnestly seek God will find Him. Hebrews 11:6 affirms, "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."

In summary, seeking God is a dynamic and ongoing process that invites believers into a deeper relationship with their Creator. It is a pursuit that promises spiritual fulfillment and the discovery of God's profound love and purpose for their lives.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 83:16
Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek your name, O LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Man the Vehicle for Exhibiting God's Perfections.
... what earnest seeking after God! ... includes both good and bad; likewise the term "angels"
includes both good ... of life in such a way as to honor God and demonstrate ...
/.../orr/how to live a holy life/man the vehicle for exhibiting.htm

What is his Name?
... I believe it includes everything the human heart longs for and ... Him as an unjust deposit
of a self-seeking tyrant; if ... He came to manifest the name of God to men. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/the god of all comfort/chapter 2 what is his.htm

How to Pray
... is more than to ask, for it includes active exertion ... Asking and seeking must be
continuous if they are to be ... Nor is it true about God's lower gifts, which are ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/how to pray.htm

In the Name of Christ
... To use Christ's Name in prayer surely includes this, to ... a child asking bread, of
our seeking and knocking ... shall then learn to understand why God, who promises ...
/.../murray/the ministry of intercession/chapter xi in the name.htm

Thirtieth Day. The Unction from the Holy One.
... be at the call of sinners seeking their God ... intelligent and most willing, approval
of His blessed will. ... They shall be all taught of God,' includes every believer ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/murray/holy in christ/thirtieth day the unction from.htm

Forms of Prayer. --The Lord's Prayer; Its Occasion and Import. ...
... Even the "seeking," the longing of the soul, that ... Deistical notions of the relations
between God and creation. ... chief good of the Christian, includes all other ...
/.../section 139 forms of prayer the.htm

The First Evangelists
... and they should beware lest, in seeking to prevent ... in the same tender recognition
He includes the feeblest and lowliest of the family of God: "Whosoever shall ...
/.../white/the desire of ages/chapter 37 the first evangelists.htm

First, I am to Consider what the Keeping of the Heart Supposes and ...
... love of God; self-will, by subjection and obedience to the will of God; and
self-seeking by self ... 6. It includes the realising of God's presence with us ...
//christianbookshelf.org/flavel/on keeping the heart/first i am to consider.htm

The Impossibility of Failure.
... his readers to be as diligent in seeking the full ... of Abraham would have made the
promise of God of none ... by the unbelief of some, and itself includes the faith ...
/.../chapter vi the impossibility of.htm

The Shepherd King of Israel
... of enjoying Him than that of humbly seeking to walk ... It considers God as the host,
and us as the ... In this illustration, which includes the remaining verses, we ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/the shepherd king of israel.htm