Seeking With All Our Heart

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV)

Jesus offered life (John 10:10), he offered streams of living water (John 4:14) that would be life-changing and life-giving to those who could receive it. He was not necessarily showing people how to live properly by doing the right things, he was showing people how an encounter with him would change their heart for ever.

Our heart is central to everything. Our heart is deeper than our soul which comprises of our mind, will and emotions. Our heart is akin to our spirit, it is the place where the Father makes his home and it is the deep place that defines who we really are. Our soul (mind, will and emotions) belong to us but they do not define who we are. That’s done at a deeper level, in our heart.

It’s when we seek him in the deep place of our heart that we can begin to discover the plans he has for us. They are good plans, they give us hope for our future. At the same time though, we know we live in a fallen world which often tarnishes and confronts his plans for us. Yet, we can take heart knowing that he is always good. The journey we are called to take is one of the heart. It is not one of reason or emotion but a deep longing inside of us to discover the heart of our Father and then to pursue it with all our soul. It is our heart joining with his heart and through that we discover his ways.