<\/p>\n
\u201cBut from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul\u201d (Deuteronomy 4:29).<\/p>\n
THE BASIC IDEA CONTAINED IN THIS TEXT IS FOUND THROUGHOUT THE SCRIPTURES. I have not counted them, but if you took all the occurrences of \u201cwith all your heart and soul\u201d (and all the variations thereof) and put them together, it would be an impressive list. Clearly, what God wants is for us to seek Him wholeheartedly.<\/em><\/p>\n In our text, however, Moses was not just speaking of a generic seeking of the Lord; he was talking about Israel returning<\/em> to God after having forsaken Him. His point was that God would be willing to forgive them and bless them if they returned with all their hearts.<\/em> No hypocritical or apathetic return would be accepted.<\/p>\n Wholeheartedness may be thought of in various ways. If we said somebody did something \u201cwith all his heart,\u201d that would mean his effort was diligent, passionate, focused, and committed. All of these, and more, are involved when God said that Israel must return \u201cwith all your heart and with all your soul.\u201d<\/p>\n If a person has not yet obeyed the gospel (Acts 2:37-41), the idea of wholeheartedness should be given careful consideration. To seek God\u2019s forgiveness of our sins is a serious matter, as is committing ourselves to lifelong faithfulness after we\u2019ve been forgiven. Jesus urged us to \u201ccount the cost\u201d of discipleship (Luke 14:25-33). If we\u2019re not willing to throw the doors open and give God access to every room in our hearts (even the \u201csecret\u201d ones), it is doubtful that our intentions are as serious as they should be.<\/p>\n There is a sense in which becoming a Christian is always a \u201creturn\u201d to God. We were born into this world innocent of any sin and in a relationship with God that was beautifully right. It was only when we first went against what we knew to be God\u2019s will that our fellowship with Him was broken and we found ourselves, somewhat like Israel, banished to a foreign land, spiritually speaking. The gospel of Christ offers restoration to those who return \u2014 but only to those who come back with a commitment befitting the majesty and love of God. Our loyalty must be absolutely unconditional. Surely, our Heavenly Father \u2014 our Merciful King \u2014 deserves this.<\/p>\n \u201cTo my God, a heart of flame; to my fellowmen, a heart of love; to myself, a heart of steel\u201d (Augustine of Hippo).<\/p>\n Gary Henry \u2013 WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com<\/p>\n