Observations About Seeking the Lord

2 Chronicles, Christian Living, Seek the Lord 3 Minutes

Please take time to read 2 Chronicles 15 before reading this post. For further context you could read 2 Chronicles 12-14.

I have been focusing on seeking the LORD in 2022. The driving force of this pursuit has been 2 Chronicles 15, especially verses 1-2: “The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, ‘Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.’”

I am especially drawn to the statement, “If you seek him, he will be found by you.” God loves to be found and will be found when people seek Him.

Below I have included eight observations from 2 Chronicles 15 about seeking the Lord. (NOTE: For the Pioneer Bible Church family, this is the devotional I gave before our annual meeting).  

  1. God must take the initiative. God seeks us out first. This is seen in the Spirit of the Lord working in Azariah to give God’s message to Asa. God revealed Himself first, then the people could seek. This is also true today. It has been true for all time. The God we have been born running away from takes the initiative and reveals Himself to us. The Bible itself is proof of this fact. God has taken the initiative to communicate to us. Psalm 27:8 makes this clear as well: “You (the LORD) have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, LORD, do I seek.”
  2. The words for seek/sought – are the Hebrew dawrash (1875 – means to “tread” or “frequent” with the idea of following), and bawkash (1245 – means to “search out” by implication “to strive after,” specifically referring to worship). (1) So, this is a pursuit with the idea to know God and worship Him.
  3. This is a specific word to Asa, but it is founded upon past revelation of God’s character. In the past, when the people turned from God then looked for Him, He was found. This is revelation based upon the character of God that applies at all times, including our own time. If we seek the Lord, He will be found by us.
  4. The Lord is not hiding. The Lord is desiring to be found, and He will make Himself found to all who seek after Him. God wants to be pursued! We don’t have to beg Him to be found. Time and again in Scripture we see that God will be found if pursued. If we seek Him, He will be found by us.
  5. We see that pursuit of God will demand dealing with sin. Asa and those who took the oath with him had to remove the idols and idol worshippers. Pursuit of God will always expose idolatry and sin that must be dealt with by His grace. If we pursue God, there will be sin exposed in our lives. This is for our good so we may deal with sin and find healing and fellowship with God.
  6. Pursuit of God attracts attention. Here it was good attention. Israelites defected from the Northern Kingdom to return to the LORD when they saw the LORD was with Asa. There are times a pursuit of God will bring bad attention as well (read Acts). There will always be attention with pursuit of God.
  7. Pursuit of God creates relationship struggles. Asa’s own mother did not pursue the Lord. Just as Jesus said, in order to be His disciples He must be the priority, even over family. It is a costly pursuit.
  8. Pursuit of the Lord enjoys great reward, which far outweighs the losses. Consider what Asa and Israel found:
    • The LORD Himself – They sought Him, and He was found. Fellowship with God is available to all who pursue it, and God is the reward (Hebrews 11:6).
    • Joy – They rejoiced in the oath to pursue the Lord, because they found Him.
    • Rest – In this case, the Lord gave rest from warfare, but a spiritual rest is found for the one or group who pursues the Lord. Jesus says to come to Him, and He will give rest (Matthew 11:28).
  1. Definitions are from Strong’s Concordance, which I accessed at biblehub.com
  2. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
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