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“ ‘If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me. I will be found by you,’ says the LORD …” (Jeremiah 29:13–14 NLT).
Stormy seasons in life bring confusion. When everything feels unsettled, hearts and minds get strained, plans get upset, and uncertainty begins to be pressing. Truth be told, there are times it is hard to know which direction to take or even what the next step may be in God’s journey for you. Discernment feels cloudy at best when the storms roll in and when life gets unexpectedly chaotic. But it is in uncertainty that, once more, God’s Word provides certain answers.
In the storms of life, we crave discernment. That’s human nature. And while it is good to prayerfully ask how to respond faithfully, it is also always good to remember that a desire for an answer is always superseded by a far more important desire: God’s Word reminds us to first seek Him — not just an answer or a calm to the storm.
Most of us are familiar with Jeremiah 29:11; it may even be your confirmation verse or displayed on a decorative sign you found at your décor store du jour! But it is Jeremiah 29:13 that speaks to how one can, in faith, respond when the plans of the Lord are uncertain. Seek the answer, sure, but first seek the LORD Himself. Too often we want answers more than we want God Himself. We want a quick solution, a clear sign, or a simple map that lays out the next steps. But God doesn’t say, “You will seek answers and find them.” Rather, to a people facing uncertainty, He instructs through Jeremiah: if you seek — when you seek, with your whole heart, Him first — God says, “You will seek Me and find Me.”
Jeremiah 29:13 gives a promise that steadies us. Jeremiah 29:7 reminds us that whatever the future holds, pray that God would bless wherever He leads you. God wants you to pray for how it all ends up. But do not worry about His plan; instead, focus your hearts on Him. The paths of life don’t usually begin or end with perfect circumstances or a storm-free life, but with the steadfastness of the Lord’s promise to His children.
These days, uncertainty abounds at St. Paul’s; let’s be real, we knew it would when the Tell the Wonders He Has Done ministry expansion campaign began. Now two years later, God has blessed so much! He also still has so much to do. It’s a building project; it is messy, and it may even get messier by the end of the day. This Mindful Monday, seek the Lord first, not the solution. Spend time in His presence, not in the present circumstance. Begin in the Word, not with what you are worried about in the world. Let the construction of your life in Christ continue. Seek Him wholeheartedly, earnestly, humbly, and prayerfully, and “You will find Me. I will be found by you," says the LORD.
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