Seeking God

…if…you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deuteronomy 4:29 NIV

The last time I recall seeking help with everything-within-me was in a dream -- actually a nightmare. A vicious snake coiled up at my feet and held me frozen with his gaze. I called for help, but no one heard me. With all my physical strength, I filled my lungs with air, then screamed H-E-L-P! with everything within me. I awoke to a pounding heart and a sweaty night shirt. I still vividly recall the emotion of that dream—that moment of desperation.

I am impressed that Moses must have experienced that same sort of real-time desperation. He was aware that the people he led out of Egypt were destined to find themselves in a multitude of despairing situations as exiles in foreign nations. He offered them their only hope—seeking God. His words in Deuteronomy 4:29 hinted of his desperation, and of my desperate dream. …if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.

I have often heard the first part of that challenge quoted, if you seek the LORD you will find him. The remaining phrase, which is often overlooked, clarifies the promise—if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. The Hebrew word for heart includes: the inner person, mind, soul, and understanding. The word for soul extends this to: desire, emotion, and passion.

Fortunately, I have never found myself physically exiled, but I have felt exiled from God when my thoughts and actions separated my heart from God’s peace. Moses’ words relate to my daily need right here in my home country. They also tell me how to find my way back when I feel lost.

Thank you, Father, for clear instructions for how to seek You when we feel exiled. Work out that mystery of my heart and soul in my seeking of You.

Linda Lesniewski