What other Scriptures emphasize the importance of seeking God wholeheartedly? Context: Azariah’s Wake-Up Call (2 Chronicles 15:1-2) • “Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said, ‘Hear me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.’” • The prophet’s message sets the pattern: God makes Himself available to any who seek Him with an undivided heart. Seeking God in the Law • Deuteronomy 4:29 — “But 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.” • Deuteronomy 6:5 — “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” • Deuteronomy 30:2–3 — “…return to the LORD your God and obey His voice with all your heart and all your soul… then the LORD your God will restore you…” → From the very start, wholehearted pursuit is tied to covenant blessing. Echoes in Israel’s History • 1 Chronicles 28:9 — “If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” • 2 Chronicles 7:14 — “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray, and seek My face…” • 2 Chronicles 34:3 — “[Josiah] began to seek the God of his father David.” → Kings rose and fell on whether they sought the LORD with a whole heart. Cries of the Psalms & Wisdom Books • Psalm 27:8 — “My heart said, ‘Seek His face.’ Your face, O LORD, I will seek.” • Psalm 42:1-2 — “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs for You, O God.” • Psalm 63:1 — “O God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You…” • Psalm 119:2,10 — “Blessed are those who… seek Him with all their heart… With all my heart I have sought You.” • Proverbs 8:17 — “I love those who love me, and those who seek me early shall find me.” → Worship songs and wisdom sayings keep the desire for God front-and-center. Messages from the Prophets • Isaiah 55:6 — “Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.” • Jeremiah 29:13 — “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” • Hosea 10:12 — “It is time to seek the LORD until He comes and showers righteousness upon you.” • Amos 5:4 — “Seek Me and live!” • Zephaniah 2:3 — “Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth… seek righteousness, seek humility…” → Prophets link wholehearted seeking to repentance, life, and future hope. Jesus on Seeking • Matthew 6:33 — “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” • Matthew 7:7-8 — “Seek and you will find… for everyone who seeks finds.” • Mark 12:30 — “Love the Lord your God with all your heart… soul… mind… strength.” • John 4:23 — “The Father is seeking such as these to worship Him.” → The call is intensified: pursuit of God’s kingdom and loving devotion top every priority list. New-Covenant Encouragements • Hebrews 11:6 — “He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” • James 4:8 — “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” • 1 Peter 3:12 — “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayer.” → The promise continues: deliberate nearness to God brings real, present reward. Living the Theme • From Moses to the early church, one thread never snaps: God invites, even urges, us to seek Him with undivided hearts. • Each passage affirms the same promise Azariah voiced to Asa—when we turn to the Lord wholeheartedly, He lets Himself be found, and fellowship with Him becomes the fountain of every blessing. |
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