Dear Ones:
When God charged Samuel to anoint one of the sons of Jesse to be king in the place of Saul, he said: “Look NOT on his countenance, or on the height of his stature…for the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Sam. 16:7) The question then becomes, “What is God looking for IN THE HEART?” In the book of Acts, we find written the Lord’s declaration: “I have found David the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MINE OWN HEART, which shall fulfill all my will.” (Acts 13:22) What does the Lord mean by “…a man after Mine own heart?” There is no doubt that David had a seeking heart, one that was in pursuit of the Eternal God. But, certainly the meaning of the phrase goes beyond seeking God. It goes to the very commitment to respond wholeheartedly to the revelation of God to the heart. David would be a man who would purpose to DO all the will of God. Would he do it perfectly? No, but his heart was wholly committed to accomplish it.
When Moses would seek the Lord in the tabernacle, a cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle. Scripture tells us that “…the Lord spoke unto Moses, face to face, as a man speaks unto his friend.” (Ex. 33:11) This is a remarkable declaration of the revelation of God to Moses. What is even more remarkable is that, “…everyone that sought the Lord, went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation.” (Ex. 33:7) We are apt to think that, because of one’s stature (….in this case, that of Moses as the leader of the Children of Israel), one person may be accepted to the exclusion of others. But here, we see that everyone who actively sought the Lord came to the same place to find Him. Among those that sought the Lord was the servant of Moses, Joshua. We are told that when Moses turned again to return to the camp from the Tabernacle, “…his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a YOUNG man, departed not out of the tabernacle.” (33:11) Here is a man who has seen the glory of God upon Moses. He knows that Moses communes with God, and God with him. He also knows that Moses’ greatness is solely due to the blessing of God upon him. And lastly, he knows that it is possible to SEEK God and to FIND Him. This is the heart that God is looking for…a heart that seeks after Him, with the determined purpose of finding Him.
In conclusion, we read in 2 Chronicles 16:9, “…For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of THEM whose heart is perfect toward Him.” What does “perfect” mean? It means “wholeness, entirety.” The man or woman with a perfect heart is not seeking God because he or she thinks they are perfect. But, they are seeking him with their whole heart. They are in essence, wholly pursuing God…to know Him.
Dear Father, as Your eyes run to and fro over this earth, grant to us an ever increasing, seeking, pursuing heart, after You. Strengthen our hearts, not only to seek You, but to find You. For You have said that You WILL be found by the truly seeking heart. Grant us to BE those, who, though imperfect, seek You with all of our hearts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad