Too often we quote Jeremiah 29:11 and don't pay much attention to the verses following. Yes, the LORD has thoughts of peace, not of evil and He wants to give us hope. But let us remember that we must diligently seek Him whole-heartedly. Those quick little prayers we whisper up to Him should not replace the heart-felt petitions diligently sent straight to His throne room.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
11 - For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
12 - Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13 - And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
14 - I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.
Verse 12 - Then you will call…
Call here means to properly address by name. Give God His due worship. This could mean we call Him God, Lord, Papa, Daddy, Jehovah, etc. But just make sure the worship is reverent. The old English word for “worship” was “worthship.” He is worth all our praise.
…upon Me and go and pray to Me…
It’s perfectly fine to walk, drive, sit in a crowd or even be in conversation and still praying. 1Thessolonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing. However, the word go here means to take our prayers and go other places: It may be such that we take our praying for granted and need to go to a place of peace and quiet…on a consistent basis (i.e., “prayer closet”) Are you sometimes slothful in the way you go about seeking Him in prayer?
…and I will listen to you…
By way of listening, the LORD will give you salvation and deliverance. But that’s not all.
'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' Jeremiah 33:3
Verse 13 And you will seek Me…
This is to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer).
…and find Me…
This is what I want. I want to know that the Lord is listening to me to the point that I can be sure that He will answer me. Answer in His way, not necessarily my way. That is, He will come forth and He will answer me.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. Psalms 91:15
…when you search for Me with all your heart.
This can’t be a half-baked effort. We’ve got to put some heat and heart into seeking the Lord.
Verse 14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.
For Israel this meant bringing them back to into the land that the LORD had promised them through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He would be sending them with new hearts. They will not worship idols any more, but they shall worship Him. He means for them to be serious and diligent in their addresses and applications to Him, and He will then listen and answer their applications.
What does this mean for you and me, right here, today?
In seeking God we must not be lazy or impatient in searching for Him. Our heart and mind must be steadfast to accomplish a diligent search. It takes perseverance and self-control. When we search for Him we are searching for direction and encouragement to our faith and hope. Continue seeking, and take pains in seeking and this we must do with our heart (that is, in sincerity and uprightness, with vigor and fervency, putting forth all that is within us in prayer).
He will be found and answer our prayers. Oh, they could be yes, no or wait, but He will answer. Even His silence is an answer. Listen to it carefully and quietly.
Then He will bring you out of the spiritual desert, where you’ve felt like you’ve been captive. He will spiritually pick you up and remove you from that location (this could be literal). He is able to and more than wants to deliver you from depression, oppression, anxiety, anger, fear, a crushed broken heart that He has allowed in your life. This experience has been for your benefit to draw you closer to Him. He will bring you to a place of rest, release, peace and joy that cannot be taken away. But…we must seek Him with a sincere heart, with no thought as to how you want Him to answer you.
Seek Him now. Remember Jeremiah 33:3
Blessings,
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