1 Chronicles 28:9. Searching for God

As the book of 1 Chronicles closes out, David is at the end of his reign and he will pass the throne to his son, Solomon. David calls an assembly of the people together and before them all David has some last words of wisdom to give to Solomon. If you were king over God’s chosen people and you were about to name your son as the next king, what words would you want to say to him that would last throughout his reign after you are gone? David knew the weight and responsibility of leading these people. Perhaps as he contemplated the words he would say to his son, he thought back through his own life and how often he found himself searching for God – whether for direction or wisdom, comfort or protection. David knew what it meant to search for God. And so, he charges Solomon with total devotion to God, to check his intent, and to remember that when searching for God he can always be found. Listen to David’s words to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28:9:

The Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you.

When searching for God, remember God knows why we do what we do.

David encourages Solomon to have a single-minded devotion to God because nothing less matters since God knows our every intention. There is no pretending with God. The nations all around Israel worshiped false gods and God had warned Israel to avoid idolatry. His chosen people were to worship Him and Him alone. They couldn’t worship Baal on Saturday night, but then show up on Sunday morning to worship God. They couldn’t claim to be God’s chosen people in a crisis but bow down to false gods when life was great.

The same is true for us. God knows why we teach the small group. He knows the motivation behind singing on the praise team. As the offering plate is passed, He knows if you are a cheerful giver or a grumblin’ giver. We can’t claim to be His child, but live like the world. In short, God know why we do what we do. So what’s your motivation behind what you do?

When searching for God, God knows why we think what we think

God not only understands our motivations behind what we do, He knows the thoughts we think that no one else knows. Whether they are kind or unkind, lustful or pure, jealous or grateful, good or evil – God knows. We can’t hide what we do and we can’t hide what we think from God. In Psalm 139:1, David wrote: “O Lord, you have searched me and known me!” God knows us inside and out. In verses 2-4 David said that God knows when we sit and when we stand. He knows our thoughts and plans. David also said that God knows all our ways. Even before a word is on our tongue, God knows it.

David reminded Solomon that God can always be found

David knew that ruling God’s people was not an easy task. To do so well, Solomon would need to constantly search out God. So David reminded his son that God can always be found. However, finding God would require Solomon to search for Him. Deuteronomy 4:29 says, that we will find God if we search for him with all our heart and all our soul. Proverbs 8:17 says that those who diligently seek God will find Him. David knew from his own experience what it meant to search for God. In Psalm 63:1 he says, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

Have You Been Searching for God?

People search for God for different reasons. Some search for Him because they’ve never found Him. Other’s have found Him, but they’re facing a crisis or having to make a big decision and they need a rescue. Some search for Him because they’ve received a diagnosis and they want to be healed. Others feel lost, empty, and alone and just need to know that someone cares. Whatever the reason you may be searching for God today, here are three questions to ask yourself.

What is your motivation for searching for God?

Do you really want to find God and have a relationship with Him or is God more of a “genie in a bottle” that you can use to further your own plans and agenda? Seeking God is about developing an intimate relationship with Him, not just to get what you want when you want it. Does your soul thirst for God – to point of feeling faint? Does your relationship to God feel parched as in a dry, weary land where there is no water?

When talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus said that He was the living water. He told her, “But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again—ever! In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up within him for eternal life.” (John 4:14) If your soul is feeling parched, come to the well where Jesus offers living water and take a drink by asking Him to forgive you of your sins and invite Him into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior.

Are you willing to consecrate yourself to God?

In 1 Chronicles 29 David has given Solomon his plans for building a temple to house the Ark. David tells the assembly of people about the gold and silver that he is giving from his own personal treasury to go to the construction of the temple. He then invites the people to give of their own choice as well. He says to the crowd in verse 5, “Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?” To consecrate simply means to “set apart.”

If you are searching for God, this same question can apply to you – Are you willing to consecrate yourself to God? Are you willing to set yourself apart from the rest of the world and live obediently for God? If your answer is yes, tell Him. Call on His name and when you search for Him with all your heart and your motivation to find Him is to have a personal relationship with Him, then you will find Him.

Where are you searching for God?

Lastly, if you are searching for God, then where are you searching? God can reveal Himself to us in many different ways, such as the words of a song, something the pastor says in his message, or the encouraging word from a friend. However, God is most often found through reading the Bible and spending time in prayer, talking with Him.

If you are not spending time in personal Bible study and prayer, then searching for God needs to begin here. As you open your Bible, take a moment and ask God to speak to you through what you read and to reveal Himself to you. When a certain verse seems to stand out or leap off the page to you – highlight that verse and take some time to meditate on it. Ask God what He might be trying to say to you through it. If you apply that verse to your life right now, how might that look?

If you are searching God, check your motivations and intentions, search with all your heart, develop a single-minded devotion to God, consecrate yourself to Him, and commit to daily fellowship with Him through Bible study and prayer. He wants to be found.