Girlfriends in God - Mar. 23, 2011

March 23, 2011

Seek Me with Your Whole Heart

Today’s Truth
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV).

Friend to Friend
God promised, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV). This is more than a casual glance before heading off to work or to carpool in the morning. It’s more than a hit and run encounter with God. He desires to speak to us through the pages of our Bibles and it requires meditating and seeking God with our whole hearts.

Jesus told His followers, “If you abide in my Word then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32 NIV). Abide means to continue in, to tarry, to dwell, to remain. It is not reading the Scripture for information, but for transformation. There are many scholars who have read the Bible for information but have never entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ. This reminds me of the difference between the woman who memorizes a menu at a restaurant and a woman who enjoys the food. Only one gets fed.

Let me ask you, who can describe a sunset more accurately – a blind person who has read all about sunsets (what causes the colors, the time of day they occur, the effect of clouds on the hues) or the person who had seen and experienced the vibrant oranges, blues, pinks and purples painted across the sky as the sun creeps below the horizon and the rays play peek-a-boo behind the scattered clouds? I dare say the one who has experienced the sunset for herself. When we study God’s Word and couple that with listening to His voice, we will come to know Him on a much more intimate level than a Bible scholar who has studied the words on the page but has never taken the time to converse with the Author Himself.

Jesus told us that when we abide in God’s Word, we will become a disciple, a learner, and an imitator of the Teacher himself (John 8:31). One thing I’ve noticed through the years, a Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to a person who isn’t!

Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, I thank You for the incredible love letter You have written to each and every one of us … the Bible. I commit to not only read your Word, but meditate on Your Word. Lord, please speak to me through the pages of my Bible and help me be a woman who hears Your voice.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn
What do you think it means to seek God with your whole heart? I’d love to hear your answers! Let’s chat at www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes.

Do you feel that you are seeking God with your whole heart? If so, write down how.

If not, write down what needs to change.

More from the Girlfriends
Today’s devotion was taken from Sharon’s book, Becoming a Woman who Listens to God. God speaks to us through His Word, the Holy Spirit, prayer, nature, circumstances, and other people. If you would like to make hearing from God a daily occurrence rather than a rare occasion, then this book is for you! Join Sharon as you learn now to become a woman who truly listens to God.

Seeking God?
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how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.