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Deuteronomy 4:29 - Finding God.

Deuteronomy 4:29 - Finding God.

Deuteronomy 4:29 (KJV) ... Seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find 
him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.  

Deuteronomy 4:29 (NCV) ... Look for the LORD your God, and you 
will find him if you look for him with your whole being.  

DEVOTIONAL PEARL

   Israel's falling away and exile were foretold long before it 
happened. God knew when He made His covenant with the Israelites that they 
would not be able to keep it. Moses presents the consequences as an 
if/then proposition - as though their apostasy is a hypothetical 
possibility at any given point in history - but the wording implies that 
it's going to happen. Unaided, human nature tends to rebel.  
   Even so, God gives a sweeping promise in the midst of Moses' 
warning. In the place of exile - in our times of deepest, darkest 
alienation from Him - a desperation - induced search for Him will be 
rewarded. Though He hides Himself from casual or proud observers, His 
purpose is always to be found by those whose hearts are ready for Him. A 
chastened, humble soul is perfectly primed for the Presence. And God 
obliges as though all offenses have been forgotten.  
   If this is God's reward for the rebellious who have rejected 
Him and then turned back, imagine how He responds to those who 
already belong to Him, already follow, and want to seek Him at a deeper 
level. If He is willing to bring close those who have strayed, He 
certainly brings close those who are already there. But those who are far 
away are aware of their need to seek Him; those who are in a good 
relationship with Him often don't realize how much better the relationship 
can be if they press in even further.  
   Awaken to the opportunity of coming even closer - of seeking 
the One you might think you've already found. However familiar you 
are with Him, He invites an even greater familiarity. Always seek 
it.  
   Lord, how do I seek You? My heart is turned toward You. I'm 
grateful for Your Presence, but I want more. Let me find You in new and 
deeper ways today. [The One Year Experiencing God's Presence Devotional 
by Chris Tiegreen] 

DEEPER STUDY:

Do you want to know God? God promised the Israelites that they 
would find him when they searched with all their hearts and souls. God 
is knowable and wants to be known--but we have to want to know him. 
Acts of service and worship must be accompanied by sincere devotion 
of the heart. As Hebrews 11:6 says, "Anyone who comes to him must 
believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek 
him." God will reward those who pursue a relationship with him. [Life 
Application SB] 

So often we feel that God isn't present in our lives.  But it's 
not because he doesn't want to be there.  Maybe it's because we 
haven't made a place for him inside of us.  We are so filled up with our 
addictions and compulsive activity that we leave no room for God.  Reading 
the Bible, praying and serving Him help us start creating a place 
for God.  [Recovery Devotional Bible mod] 

If you will seek the Lord and be converted every day; ... all your 
murmurings will be stilled, all your difficulties will be removed, all the 
perplexing problems that now confront you will be solved.  MB101 

The whole heart must be yielded to God, or the change can never 
be wrought in us by which we are to be restored to His likeness. By 
nature we are alienated from God. The Holy Spirit describes our 
condition in such words as these: "Dead in trespasses and sins;" "the 
whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint;" "no soundness in it." 
We are held fast in the snare of Satan, "taken captive by him at 
his will." God desires to heal us, to set us free. But since this 
requires an entire transformation, a renewing of our whole nature, we 
must yield ourselves wholly to Him.  SC43 

   A union with Christ by living faith is enduring; every other 
union must perish. Christ first chose us, paying an infinite price for 
our redemption; and the true believer chooses Christ as first and 
last and best in everything. But this union costs us something. It is 
a union of utter dependence, to be entered into by a proud being. 
All who form this union must feel their need of the atoning blood of 
Christ. They must have a change of heart. They must submit their own 
will to the will of God. There will be a struggle with outward and 
internal obstacles. There must be a painful work of detachment as well as 
a work of attachment. Pride, selfishness, vanity, worldliness--sin 
in all its forms--must be overcome if we would enter into a union 
with Christ. The reason why many find the Christian life so 
deplorably hard, why they are so fickle, so variable, is that they try to 
attach themselves to Christ without first detaching themselves from 
these cherished idols.  
   After the union with Christ has been formed, it can be 
preserved only by earnest prayer and untiring effort. We must resist, we 
must deny, we must conquer self. Through the grace of Christ, by 
courage, by faith, by watchfulness, we may gain the victory. 5T231 

CONCLUDING THOUGHT:

   In the midst of playing baseball in the backyard, Jim's 
six-year-old son's best friend, and next door neighbor, came out of his 
house. "Dad, can I go play with Brad?" he asked. "But son, we're 
playing baseball. Don't you want to play with me?" Jim asked, not really 
wanting to hear the answer he knew was coming. "Nah, I'd rather play 
with Brad," his son replied, all too honestly. Jim had a rival for 
his son's affection, and he was a six-year-old. 
   As he struggled with that thought, knowing that he'd better 
get a handle on it because it was only going to escalate, he 
suddenly was reminded that God felt the same way about him. He jealously 
desires our affection and attention as well. It breaks his heart when we 
show more interest in cars, sports, newspapers, television, yard 
work, hobbies, books, and family activities than we do in reading his 
word and prayer. It saddens him when we are more committed to serving 
ourselves and pursuing our own interests than we are in serving him. 
   If God were to examine your heart today, what rivals for his 
attention would he find?  
   Remember!  Idolatry makes anything but God the highest 
priority in life. Do you value your relationship with God more than 
anything else? Or have you allowed money, leisure, friendships - or 
anything else - to rule your life? Smash the idols in your life and make 
a fresh commitment to put God first. He alone is worthy of this 
position! [Gary Smalley and John Trent - Inspirational SB] 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/

Grace Notes: http://www.e-gracenotes.org/index.php

Excellent Spiritual Resource Site: 
http://www.christianlifemediacenter.com/   

More Spiritual Resources: http://www.aBible.com