by Vida Earnshaw
It has become my custom to choose a verse, theme, or spiritual goal at the beginning of a new year. This year, January 1 dawned with the phrase “Set your heart to seek the Lord” ringing in my mind. After a bit of searching, I found that the phrase was from I Chronicles 22:19, “set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God.” I took this as the theme the Lord has for me this year–to be seeking Him with all my heart and soul.
Now, these words sound very good, but what does it really mean to set my heart and soul to seek the Lord? What will such a goal entail? As I searched the Scriptures to discover more about this phrase, it became apparent that those who set their hearts to seek the Lord are determined to obey and please God, despite the cost.
Psalm 119:2, 10 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
When King Asa decided to seek the Lord, he tore down idols, destroying the places that were dedicated to their worship, and commanded his people to obey God’s law and commandments.
2 Chronicles 14:2-5 And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God: For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.
By contrast, King Rehoboam “did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD” (2 Chronicles 12:14).
Ezra 6:21 tells us that those who were seeking the LORD separated themselves “from the filthiness of the heathen of the land.” This is commanded to God’s people today as well:
2 Cor. 6:16-7:1 …for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Setting my heart to seek the Lord then is far more than a half-hearted desire to be in right relationship with the Lord. It involves an all out eradication of sin and determination to obey God.
This desire to seek the Lord does not occur naturally in the human heart. Romans 3:10-18 says, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Instead, we are by nature God’s enemies–born in sin and at war with God. That is why Jesus died on the cross, to reconcile us to God!
2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (NASB)
Colossians 1:20-21 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.
If you, dear reader, have not yet sought the Lord for salvation, He invites you to turn to Him for salvation and cleansing today.
Isaiah 55:6-7 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Receiving salvation is the first step in seeking the Lord. Oh, that after salvation the heart would continue on following hard after the Lord! Sadly, many things tend to enter life that hinder the believer from wholeheartedly seeking God. Idols of the heart are one such hindrance. While we may not bow down before statues of wood or stone, posessions, activities, and people vie for the place of God in our hearts. All such idols must be torn down and we must worship and serve God alone.
Worldliness is another hindrance to seeking the Lord.
I John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Loving the world and being like it is such an easy trap into which to fall! The pleasures of the world beckon us on every side—through television, radio, advertisements, catalogs, at the mall, even the grocery store. Loving and seeking the things of this world keeps us from wholeheartedly seeking God.
There are also many lawful things which can hinder us from seeking the Lord. A lawful thing is something that is not expressly forbidden by Scripture, something that is not evil or sinful in and of itself. This category could include entertainment choices, hobbies, food, clothing, etc. While we have the liberty to enjoy lawful things, if a lawful thing keeps us from seeking the Lord it needs to be either cut back or completely expelled from our lives. Dr. Mark Minnick brought to my attention a very helpful test by which to try such things. The “Lawful Things Test” can be found in I Corinthians 6, 10.
I Cor. 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient [profitable]:
(Is this lawful thing profitable, or is it a waste of time? Does it profit me spiritually or cause me to lose ground?)
all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
(Is it mastering me? Does it dictate my schedule? Does it control my thoughts/responses?)
I Cor. 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
(Does it edify others, build them up in the faith? Make them more like Christ? Or is my choice to participate in this lawful thing hindering others from seeking the Lord?)
I Cor. 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
(Does this lawful thing glorify God? Does it make Him big in my eyes and the eyes of others? )
Determining what is hindering us from seeking God requires personal examination before the Lord. Over the years, the Lord has been gracious to point out a number of such hindrances in my life. One example comes from my high school days. I have always enjoyed reading and used to have a particular fondness for novels (Christian fiction or classic works). Every spare moment (as well as many that were not) was spent engrossed in a book. Even when not reading, I was pondering the plot. The stories were mastering my thoughts. The Lord convicted me that novel reading needed to be pruned back in my life because I was meditating on these stories instead of His Word. As a start, the Lord laid it on my heart to give up novel reading on Sundays, not because it was sinful or evil, but because reading the novel snatched the freshly planted Word of God out of my heart. My reading choices, although lawful, needed to be pruned in order to leave my heart free to seek the Lord.
Not only are there things we may need to lay aside in order to set our hearts to seek the Lord, there are also certain disciplines we must add. Because our hearts do not naturally desire God, we must discipline ourselves to seek Him.
I Timothy 4:7 discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. (NASB)
These disciplines include Bible reading and study, prayer, fasting, even journaling.
Please understand that by speaking of giving up things and adding certain disciplines to our lives, I am not talking about legalism–this will not earn you merit with God–or having a “holier than thou” attitude. Consider an athlete training for the Olympics. This athlete will give up many things (junk food, free time, anything that does not help him reach his goal) and follow a grueling regimen, all for a chance to make it to the games. No one looks at that Olympic hopeful and thinks that he is too strict or legalistic. He is going for the gold! How much more should we as Christians do all that is necessary to seek the Lord?
I Cor. 9:24-27 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. (NASB)
This new year, may we, by God’s grace, set our hearts to seek the Lord!
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© Copyright 2008 by Vida Earnshaw
March 16, 2008 at 9:16 am
Hi Vida, dear sister in Christ ,
I want to say thank you for sharing what God put in your heart ; He spoke to me about not seeking Him with all my heart , at first i did not give a lot of attention ; This week , He spoke again , with the same words … It was consuming me , because i did not know what to do about it . I knew i had to seek the answer in the scriptures , which i did , giving me a hint of what was causing me not to seek HIm with all my heart . But i wanted more answers , I prayed and prayed , that I would be given the specific answers I needed. I decided to do some google research , and found your blog . Which confirmed what i just had read before .It’s a relief ! Now God ( faithfull GOD!) showed me what has to be fixed . May he help me and give me grace to do so .
God bless you ! =)
Andressa Pereira
Boston MA
August 4, 2008 at 8:13 am
8-3-08
thank you so much for your words and helpful information. i have been in a doldrum and literally unmotivated and have been asking and praying to God for what to do to return my heart to Him. I am saved and I just feel like i lost my love and my desire for the Lord. so i asked the lord this morning, and googled the words, “how do i really seek the Lord”, and found your website. may the lord bless you.
February 5, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Please Pray for Street Bullies In The Name Of Jesus Christ & Pray For Schools…
Pray For World Homeless Families. & Please Pray For Homeless Women to… In The Name Of Jesus Christ
I’M PRAYING FOR YOU AND OTHER PEOPLE AROUND ME… Pray for
Please pray for community in our nation.
Pray For Israel, & Jews
Martha and Mary in the Bible (LUKE 10:38-42)
(don’t be too busy that you don’t have time to get to know Jesus and hear His voice)
Hear our prayers, O God, In The name of Jesus Christ I Pray
Hear our prayers, O God;
Incline your ear to us,
and grant us your
February 5, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Please Pray for Heather Get a Full Time Job with good pay, In The Name of Jesus Christ.
God bless ya’ll for Praying.
Hear our prayers, O God, In The name of Jesus Christ I Pray
Hear our prayers, O God;
Incline your ear to us,
and grant us your
February 7, 2009 at 8:10 am
I have been seeking what it means to “seek the LORD”. Thank you for your words, sister Vida. I have realized that He loves me so much and will be there through it all – and because I know that LOVE, I am determined to obey Him whatever the cost. Thank you, Jesus!
March 7, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Bless you for your wonderful study and words and pages of ‘thankfulness’, how very helpful. The Lord has put on my heart, giving Him the time He deserves in every day. If there are 24 hours in a day, if i tithe my time that would mean that i would give Him 2.4 hours each day, at the minimum. I have found if i do that, my day is ordered, full of Peace and i am able to show forth the grace He pours into me during that time to every person, every situation, every circumstance within that day.
I work in a faith based homeless shelter and share with the ladies the promises of GOD to help them through their day. It is indeed a life choice to seek Him in all we
do, say, or think. The Lord talks about doing only what He sees the Father do, which means He seeks the Father for everything. Without Him we can’t do a thing rightly, but with Him, ALL things are possible.
Thanks again, i was researching one of my favorite paintings ‘prayer’ by Watts and was given your page with that image above. Your study made my day ! (:+
p.s. i love the painting of the child reading, but the artists name is so small.
who might that be?
February 11, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Thank you for your kind comment! I apologize for not answering sooner, but somehow I missed reading it until just now. (I was away at school last year and did not have access to my blog. Apparently some things fell through the cracks.)
The painting of the mother child is called “Evening Prayers” by Eugene Ernest Hillemacher. The girl reading is called “The New Novel” by Winslow Homer.
I hope your work at the homeless shelter is going well.
Thank you for stopping by!
~ Vida
December 29, 2011 at 10:58 am
Diane, I love this idea of tithing your time. its a practice i wish to borrow.
more grace to you.
December 28, 2009 at 6:32 am
I run a small publishing house for women writers. I would like to use the wonderful image of The New Novel on my website. Can someone please tell me if I need to get permission and if so how? This painting represents all that I feel about the joy and peacefulness and solitude of reading.
Can anyone help?
Would anyone like to design me a new website header?
http://www.linenpressbooks.co.uk
Thank you all and Happy New Year.
Lynn
January 12, 2010 at 11:46 am
Lynn, the New Novel was painted by Winslow Homer in 1877. He died 100 years ago (1836-1910), so I believe the painting is in the public domain.
Thank you for stopping by!
~ Vida
February 18, 2011 at 6:22 pm
Thank you Vida. Isaiah 55:6 has been shown to me a lot this week and I wasn’t sure where to start. Your words have helped me understand.
June 10, 2011 at 9:32 am
Dear Sis.Vida, I thank you for explaining the message. It was so simply understood that I believe a. child could read and understand it. God bless you greatly because your words from the Lord has greatly blessed and encouraged me.
June 30, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Vida,I love your post, I came accross it today I was led to read Jeremiah 29:13 this morning and it hi me hard I have been seeking the Lord for 21 years and he has richly blessed me, but what it truly means to be a God seeker and find him that we may have true fellowship with him,that is why he created us,like Adam to be reconciled to him, to seek him with all of our heart all our mind all my soul, we are his,praise God sister.
Thanks brother Tim
July 24, 2011 at 10:29 am
Your words are like cool water on dry, parched land. Thank you, Vida. The Lord revealed His grace to me in 1978 and the passages I seemed to read over and over said the same thing: You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
This morning He has reminded me again, with the instruction to set my heart upon Him. I thought I was doing that on a daily basis already. Exactly, what does it mean to set my heart upon the Lord? When I Googled that question, this blog appeared.
May our great and mighty God continue to bless your time with Him, Vida, and may you bear much fruit ~ written fruit ~ all the days of your life. Amen.
Thank you.
Vicky
Sunrise, Florida
October 25, 2011 at 12:43 am
I really enjoyed your post, and think that you have a lot of insight for one so young. May the Lord bless your dedication to his cause. You have so much potential to be used for him. 2 Chronicles 26:5b
December 29, 2011 at 10:53 am
Hi Vida,
God has indeed spoken to me through your post. After reading through Jere 29, I decided to google how best to seek the Lord and behold I came across your post. This is really wonderful. Before now, Am only used to praying in the morning and in the evening and when faced with a terrible challenge. But thank God for this eye opener and thank God for you also.
God bless you.
March 8, 2012 at 6:57 am
My name is Josh. Please pray for me.
March 8, 2012 at 9:47 am
I’m praying for you right now.
August 26, 2012 at 7:14 am
Sffering from witcraft, and occult demonic activity and posseion, (not controling me but within me tormenting, God said seek him with my whole heartand I would find HIm; didnt know how till know. Thank You!
January 7, 2013 at 4:03 pm
Thank you very much Vida for this message, it has really done some impact im my life.
I would like to get this message on my laptop because the internet is not always on but there is a copyright on this message. So what should I do to get a copy of myself
January 7, 2013 at 10:07 pm
I’m glad it was a blessing, Jordan. You are more than welcome to copy the article for personal use. Thank you for asking! The copyright is there primarily to prevent people from republishing it as their own work.
January 12, 2013 at 6:54 am
You really make it seem so easy along with your presentation however I
find this topic to be actually one thing that I think I would by
no means understand. It sort of feels too complicated and very wide
for me. I am looking ahead on your subsequent post, I will
attempt to get the dangle of it!
January 21, 2013 at 10:15 am
Dear Vida,
I have read so many posts. You speak with a beautiful and sincere heart. I thank you and I am encouraged by you. This post I see is as of 2008 and here you are, 5 years later, still inspiring young people. It is the Year of the Faith and I congratulate you and will pray that there will be more people like you. God bless you.
February 10, 2013 at 7:40 pm
Hey There. I discovered your blog using msn. This is a
really smartly written article. I will make sure to bookmark it
and return to read extra of your useful info. Thank you for the post.
I will certainly comeback.
March 1, 2013 at 4:38 am
I think that everything posted was actually very reasonable.
But, think on this, suppose you wrote a catchier title? I mean, I don’t want to tell you how to run your blog, but what if you added a post title that makes people desire more? I mean Set Your Heart to Seek the Lord | Thankful Place is kinda vanilla. You ought to look at Yahoo’s home page and see how they create news titles to grab viewers interested.
You might add a related video or a pic or two to get readers interested about what you’ve got to say. In my opinion, it might bring your website a little livelier.
April 5, 2013 at 4:33 pm
Your way of telling everything in this piece of writing is genuinely nice, all be capable of easily know it,
Thanks a lot.
April 13, 2013 at 8:14 pm
I am so thankful for this blog. You see, lately I’ve been trying to seek the Lord, and trying to learn what it really means and how I can do it more faithfully with progress. I was getting so desperate, so I typed in my question into google and one of the things that came up was this post. As I read so many things made sense and are really rolling around in my brain. I think I may be starting to understand what God is asking of me. Praise His name! It’s so awesome! I feel like I’ve been away from the Lord, and now I’m starting to come back to Him, even closer than before. I’m so thankful for the resources He has given me. May God bless you in your ministry. I am truly grateful.
p.s. When I clicked on your blog I was delighted to see you use wordpress, as I do 🙂
April 19, 2014 at 11:32 pm
Heya! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any problems
with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing
months of hard work due to no data backup. Do you have
any solutions to protect against hackers?
October 23, 2020 at 5:07 pm
leelah
Set Your Heart to Seek the Lord | Thankful Place