With "All" Your Heart...

April 28, 2009

Danielle Joyner Kelley

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13.

Looking for God? Wondering why He is not helping you through a problem? Wondering if He is listening? Wondering How to reach Him?

He told you in the scripture above. You will find Him when you seek Him “with all your heart”. The definition for the word “all” in the way it is used in this scripture is “the whole of one's possessions, resources, or energy.”

God never asks for “part” of you. He created “all” of you, and when it comes to your relationship and love for Him you better be giving it your “all”. If you are not then you don’t get to complain and cry “find me, help me, save me”, and then yell that He is not listening to you. Did you do your part?

You are His child. Think about your own children or your relationship with your parents. Do parents want half of a child’s respect? Half of a child’s love? Half of a child’s attention when they are talking? So why should God expect any less than you are willing to take yourself?

And when you have a problem do you want only half of God’s attention? Half of His love? Half of His time? Half of His power to fix your problem? No.

And therein lies the problem. As humans we can be experts at asking for more from someone than we are willing to give. He doesn’t just deserve to have us come to Him when things are bad, but He deserves our praise in the good as well. He deserves for us to bring Him everything that happens to us, good and bad.

And your heart is with you through good and bad. It feels both. You know what pain feels like and you know what love feels like. So the “whole” of that is your heart – in the good and the bad. And He wants “all” of your heart.

Many years ago when something would go wrong in my life, I would run to Him, and for a while I would remain faithful and obedient. Then things either got better or didn’t and I lost my way. And then either things would go wrong again or they would get worse, and I would wonder why He did not care.

He did care. I wasn’t listening, and I was not giving Him my all. And yet, throughout the entire time I was coming to Him asking for help I was reading my favorite chapter from the Bible over and over and had it taped to my wall in my room.

“My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you prosperity.
Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
Honor the LORD with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.
My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
and do not resent his rebuke,
because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
those who lay hold of her will be blessed.
By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations,
by understanding he set the heavens in place;
by his knowledge the deeps were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.
My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,
do not let them out of your sight;
they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble;
when you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
for the LORD will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being snared.
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
when it is in your power to act.
Do not say to your neighbor,
"Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow"—
when you now have it with you.
Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.
Do not accuse a man for no reason—
when he has done you no harm.
Do not envy a violent man
or choose any of his ways,
for the LORD detests a perverse man
but takes the upright into his confidence.
The LORD's curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.
He mocks proud mockers
but gives grace to the humble.
The wise inherit honor,
but fools he holds up to shame.” Proverbs 3:1-35.

I’m not sure it could have been more clear. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” I am to trust in Him with “all” my heart and in “all” my ways acknowledge Him, and I am not to rely on my own understanding. Then He will make my paths straight. Then I don’t have to worry if I am making a right or wrong decision. Then I won’t have to worry about whether or not He will help me out of a problem. Then I won’t have to worry what my future holds. Ah-ha, I get it now.

“ALL” not “SOME” not “PART” not “NONE” not “A LITTLE” not “A FRACTION” but ALL. He means what He says.

And when I don’t give Him my all, I have no other understanding to lean on but my own, and I don’t know about you, but relying on myself has gotten me in a huge mess, and I don’t want to do it anymore.

When I finally came back to Him and gave Him my “all” and did not turn back even if things didn’t become wonderful, He turned me inside out. Giving Him my “all” meant not turning back just because things did not change for the better right away. I stuck with it anyway, and then He knew I had given my “all”. And that was when He showed me greater love, understanding, peace, hope, joy, faithfulness, and compassion than I had ever known. But first I had to do what He said.

So the next time you run to Him screaming “Why aren’t you helping?” ask yourself first whether or not you have given Him your all. God can see everything at all times. When you dress up perfect and get the best nights sleep for your job interview, He sees you give your all to that employer. When you get your nails and hair done and buy the perfect outfit to go out and impress that guy you like, He sees you give it your all. He sees you give your all if it is something you want.

Likewise, He sees you give what you think is your all when you run to Him with a problem because there is something you want. But to God, giving your “all” doesn’t mean giving it when you want something like a job, a boyfriend or girlfriend, or a problem solved. Giving it your “all” to Him means giving it even when you want absolutely nothing at all.

He has never given you anything less. He created you. You have always had His “all”, including His son’s sacrifice to save you. Should He not get the same from you in return?

From someone who is living with the peace that comes from giving it your “all”, the answer is an absolute yes. No my circumstances haven’t changed that much, and things can be rough, but He changed me.

And now He not only has my “all” – He is my “ALL”.