Seeking God

In Psalm 119:1 those who are blessed are described by their actions as those “who walk in the law of the Lord.”  Psalm 119:2 characterizes the same people by their attitude of heart, as ones “who seek Him with all their heart.”  Everyone seeks to be happy and not miserable.  Psalm 4:6 sums up the cry of the whole world in one question: “Who will show us any good?”  The very nature of desire is seeking that which is good.  The good that can satisfy all of the desires of the human heart can only be found in seeking God.  To experience this good, the glory of God must become our overarching goal.  Thomas Manton stated this truth very succinctly, “Those that would be (desire to be) blessed, must make this their business, sincerely to seek after God.”  To seek the Lord presupposes that we see our need of Him.  The means by which we seek God is faith.  It is worth noting that in the Bible faith is often expressed by a very active term.  Words such as ‘coming,’ ‘seeking,’ ‘running,’ and ‘going’ are commonly used.  These words portray biblical faith as a serious and diligent endeavor of the soul after God.  Christians must seek God by the means that He has appointed for that purpose: reading and hearing the Bible preached, private and public prayer, etc.  Faith breathes life into these activities; without it, they are in vain.  Manton always seems to capture the essential thought in a few well-chosen words: “We do not live merely to live, but for this end we were sent into the world to seek God.”  The dissatisfaction we find in all other things intensifies the desire to pursue happiness in God with all our heart.