My heart is captured and awakened to new love
daily
With the intent that it falls ever more
closely in line with yours
To know and to love you would take a lifetime
of searching
But it is one for which I am presently
engaged and seeking
May I always find you when I search you with
all my heart
For you and you alone can guide me, my Lord
and my God
I
often wonder what our relationship to God would look like, if we sought Him
with all of our heart. Jeremiah 29:11 is a very well-known passage, because it
speaks to people with the hope of God’s foresight and blessing upon Israel, and
in turn their lives: “‘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.’”
But, an even deeper impression of the passion that should invade our lives as
lovers of the Lord is verse 13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me
with all your heart.” In the seeking-with-all-your-heart action, there is a
promise from the Lord in verse 14: “‘I will be found by you,’ declares the
Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity.’”
The Lord, whether it is obvious
or not, is speaking to Israel through the prophet, but it conveys to us a sense
of God’s extremely passionate desire to reconnect with His people! This is a
message that is written over and again in the Scriptures as God continually
tries to reconnect to His people, His creation. He desires a relationship with His
people that ties into our DNA as humans. We are designed to seek after Him, but
we are also endowed with the free will to reject or ignore that calling. Thus,
as one reads the words of the prophet, it can be clearly seen that God is
encouraging a two-way relationship, one that involves the entire heart (and
soul and mind and strength if you look more broadly at the Scriptures!).
With that said, in what ways are your
passion, devotion, and heart for God being daily awakened to new love? If your
relationship feels empty and without substance, then I encourage you to
consider the poem above and pray for a renewed zeal for our Lord and our God.
