Topical Bible: Seeking God: Saints: Purpose, in Heart

◄ Seeking God: Saints: Purpose, in Heart ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of seeking God with purpose in the heart is a central theme in the Christian faith, emphasizing the intentional and wholehearted pursuit of a relationship with the Divine. This pursuit is not merely a casual or occasional endeavor but a deliberate and earnest quest that involves the entirety of one's being.

Biblical Foundation

The Bible frequently underscores the importance of seeking God with a sincere heart. In 1 Chronicles 22:19, David exhorts Solomon, "Now set your heart and soul to seek the LORD your God." This directive highlights the necessity of a purposeful and dedicated approach to seeking God, involving both the heart and soul.

Similarly, in 2 Chronicles 15:12, the people of Judah entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul. This covenantal commitment illustrates the collective and individual responsibility to pursue God with intentionality and devotion.

Heart as the Center of Purpose

The heart, in biblical terms, is often seen as the center of one's will, emotions, and intellect. Proverbs 4:23 advises, "Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life." This verse underscores the heart's pivotal role in directing one's life and actions, including the pursuit of God.

Jeremiah 29:13 further emphasizes this point: "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 completeness of one's search, indicating that a divided or half-hearted effort is insufficient.

Examples of Purposeful Seeking

Throughout Scripture, numerous saints exemplify the purposeful seeking of God. King David, known as a man after God's own heart, frequently expressed his deep longing for God. In Psalm 27:4, he declares, "One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple."

The prophet Daniel also serves as a model of purposeful seeking. Despite the pressures and challenges of living in exile, Daniel remained steadfast in his devotion. Daniel 9:3 records, "So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes." His disciplined approach to seeking God demonstrates the importance of intentionality and perseverance.

The Role of Faith and Obedience

Faith and obedience are integral to seeking God with purpose. Hebrews 11:6 states, "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 necessity of faith as a foundation for seeking God, coupled with the assurance of His responsiveness to earnest seekers.

Obedience is also crucial, as seen in Deuteronomy 4:29-31, where the Israelites are promised that if they seek the LORD with all their heart and soul, they will find Him, even in times of distress. This promise is linked to their obedience to God's commandments and statutes.

Practical Implications

For believers today, seeking God with purpose in the heart involves a commitment to spiritual disciplines such as prayer, meditation on Scripture, worship, and community fellowship. It requires setting aside distractions and prioritizing one's relationship with God above all else. The pursuit of God is a lifelong journey that demands dedication, humility, and a willingness to align one's life with His will and purposes.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 27:8
When you said, Seek you my face; my heart said to you, Your face, LORD, will I seek.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Fenelon -- the Saints Converse with God
... THE SAINTS CONVERSE WITH GOD. ... It is to form a good purpose; to raise your heart to
God; to lament your weakness ... The perfect heart is never weary of seeking God. ...
/.../various/the worlds great sermons vol 2/fenelon the saints converse.htm

The Desire of the Soul in Spiritual Darkness
... There are times when all the saints can do is to ... to enter in at the strait gate."
Seeking will not do ... theatre-going"have constrained you to seek God with full ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/the desire of the soul.htm

Preach the Gospel
... his Master more than others, and seeking more than ... confine myself to certain truths
only, to comfort God's saints? ... and understanding, may turn to God with full ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/preach the gospel.htm

Saints and Faithful
... crowded, and most distracted life, recognising His presence and seeking to do ... All
His children are His saints. ... the whole man is to be laid upon God's altar and ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/saints and faithful.htm

God Seeks Intercessors
... Faith sees the intercession of the saints to be part ... is teaching them that intercession,
power with God, must be their first care, and in seeking to train ...
/.../murray/the ministry of intercession/chapter xiv god seeks intercessors.htm

God's Sovereignty and Prayer
... In the same book we are told, "The prayers of God's saints are the capital stock
in Heaven by which Christ carries on ... In seeking blessings from God we own ...
/.../pink/the sovereignty of god/chapter nine gods sovereignty and.htm

Satan Considering the Saints
... like a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he ... to have your own confidence sustained,
may God the Holy ... how many saints have been comforted in their distress ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 11 1865/satan considering the saints.htm

Saints, Sages, and Saviors: the Law of Service
... relinquished his passionate and self-seeking nature, who ... between man the personal
and God the impersonal ... What the saints, sages, and saviors have accomplished ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/allen/the way of peace/saints sages and saviors the.htm

Holy Song from Happy Saints
... acknowledgement of your sin, and an earnest seeking for mercy ... as if he felt there
were not enough of saints, he calls ... If God should make you feel that you must ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 61 1915/holy song from happy saints.htm

The Obedience of Faith
... Take courage from the lives of God's saints who have gone before you. ... God never
withholds Himself from them who pay this price and persevere in seeking Him ...
/.../murray/the school of obedience/vi the obedience of faith.htm