Passionate Pursuit

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”—Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)

American Pickers is currently my husband’s favorite reality television show. We will plop down on the couch and watch spellbound as two middle-aged men climb into junky barns and crawl through over-cluttered houses looking for what they call “rusty gold.” Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz have filled their bank accounts by looking for treasure where others see only trash. 

I must confess that these two pickers’ passion for the hunt is a bit convicting. I want to have the heart of a seeker—a woman on the lookout for God’s providence and provision even in the midst of my many problems. I long to see the glimmer of God’s glory at work in the middle of my mess.  

In Jeremiah, the people of God are wading through a season of captivity as exiles in wicked Babylon. The prophet Jeremiah assures them they will have a hope and a future even though right now they see little evidence of any freedom or God’s favor. Their Heavenly Father has not forgotten them. They simply need to seek His face to see His footprints in their situation.

Sometimes, God will remove us from a fertile land into a barren wilderness to help us develop a keener awareness of how blessed we truly are. In Babylon, the people of God were less distracted by abundance and developed a greater understanding of God’s faithfulness.  

God also tests our hearts to see what we truly treasure. Will we unswervingly trust Him to keep His promises and provide what we need? Will we continue to passionately pursue Him even though we must wait for His provision? God longs for His children to cry out to Him.

The heart of a seeker hunts for God’s presence. Though we may not see His blessings in our bank accounts, we can count on finding treasure this world cannot take away when we invest our time in studying His Word and listening for His leading as we pray. Passionately pursuing Christ always pays off.  

DIG: Read Deuteronomy 4:29–31. What is God’s promise to seekers? 

DISCOVER: Read Matthew 6:33–7:8. Pray for God to give you a glimpse of His glory this week in the middle of your mess.

DISPLAY: Create a blessings jar or journal to document every time God blesses you during a season of bareness.  

About the Author

Lyli Dunbar