Topical Bible: Seeking God: Saints: Earnest In

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The earnest seeking of God is a recurring theme throughout the Scriptures, exemplified by the lives of the saints who pursued a deep and abiding relationship with the Almighty. This pursuit is characterized by a sincere and fervent desire to know God, understand His will, and live in accordance with His commandments.

Biblical Examples of Earnest Seeking

1. David: King David is a quintessential example of one who earnestly sought God. In Psalm 63:1 , David declares, "O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You. My soul thirsts for You, my body yearns for You, in a dry and weary land without water." David's life was marked by a profound longing for God's presence, as he continually sought after God's heart (1 Samuel 13:14).

2. Daniel: The prophet Daniel exemplified earnest seeking through prayer and fasting. In Daniel 9:3 , he states, "So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes." Daniel's commitment to seeking God was unwavering, even in the face of persecution.

3. Paul: The Apostle Paul, in his epistles, often speaks of his earnest desire to know Christ more deeply. In Philippians 3:10 , he writes, "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death." Paul's life was a testament to his relentless pursuit of a deeper relationship with Jesus.

Characteristics of Earnest Seeking

· Wholeheartedness: Earnest seeking involves a wholehearted devotion to God. Jeremiah 29:13 promises, "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." This implies a complete and undivided focus on God, setting aside distractions and competing affections.

· Persistence: The saints demonstrate persistence in their pursuit of God. Jesus encourages this in Matthew 7:7 , "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you." Persistence in seeking God is rewarded with deeper revelations and understanding.

· Humility: Earnest seekers approach God with humility, recognizing their dependence on Him. James 4:10 instructs, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you." Humility opens the heart to receive God's guidance and grace.

· Obedience: True seeking is accompanied by a willingness to obey God's commands. Psalm 119:2 states, "Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, and seek Him with all their heart." Obedience is a natural outflow of a heart earnestly seeking God.

The Promise of Finding God

The Scriptures assure that those who earnestly seek God will indeed 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." This promise is a source of encouragement for believers, affirming that their efforts to seek God will not be in vain.

In summary, the earnest seeking of God is a defining characteristic of the saints, marked by a deep desire for His presence, a commitment to prayer and obedience, and a humble heart. Through their examples, believers are encouraged to pursue God with all their heart, assured of His promise to be found by those who diligently seek Him.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Songs 3:2,4
I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loves: I sought him, but I found him not.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Necessity of Diligently Seeking the Saints' Rest.
... 6. God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are in earnest; God is so ... be so certain and glorious
a rest for the saints, why is there no more earnest seeking after it ...
/.../baxter/the saints everlasting rest/chapter vii the necessity of.htm

Prayer and Fervency
... heavens, where God dwells with His saints, in light ... were notable examples of fervency
of spirit when seeking God. ... What earnest soul longings for the Word of the ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/bounds/the necessity of prayer/v prayer and fervency.htm

Sorrowful yet Always Rejoicing.
... When saints have so deepened into God, cultivated such a ... him." If tears will not
reach God, the case ... addition of tears to earnest heart-seeking has influence ...
/.../orr/how to live a holy life/sorrowful yet always rejoicing.htm

The Endless Quest
... seek yourself out, as the text says, and you are thus seeking out God. ... latchet of
the shoes of such great, and such greatly rewarded, saints of God: yet, if ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/whyte/lord teach us to pray/xxiii the endless quest.htm

Saints and Faithful
... most distracted life, recognising His presence and seeking to do ... in Christ Jesus,'
though they were 'saints in Ephesus ... keep ourselves in the love of God, and in ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/saints and faithful.htm

A Manifestation of God in Answer to Prayer
... to arrest the attention of a pleasure seeking world ... is gravely concerned about the
praying of God's people, who ... and John had joined the company of saints in the ...
/.../anderson/prayer availeth much/chapter 7 a manifestation of.htm

How Saints May Help the Devil
... goeth on in his iniquity, desperately seeking his own ... deal better than their faith
in God's providence can do ... Why, just look at these saints:"a drivelling set ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/how saints may help the.htm

Preface.
... chamber and in the meetings of the saints; but these ... obedient acceptance of each
word that our God has spoken. ... of the faith of my brethren in seeking to trace ...
//christianbookshelf.org/murray/holy in christ/preface.htm

Prayer --Fills Man's Poverty with God's Riches
... are to be gained by the prayers of the soldier saints everywhere. ... be measured by
these standards "Pouring out the soul before God," and "Seeking with all ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/ii prayerfills mans poverty with.htm

The Sound in the Mulberry Trees
... providence necessarily runs in a continuous current; remember, you may to-morrow
without seeking God's advice venture ... Did any of the saints of God who were ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the sound in the mulberry.htm