Remember What You Seek and Why

Many people are familiar with Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." This verse is part of a letter written by the prophet Jeremiah to the exiles taken to Babylon, and it is often a "crutch" verse for people when they face difficult struggles in their lives. In my prayer time this morning I was drawn back to this chapter. As I was reading through the chapter verses twelve and thirteen stood out to me. "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart." The last part of verse thirteen all but knocked me out of my chair because it is so similar to Deuteronomy 6:5, and Matthew 22:37. As a Christian walking home I have to remember to whom I am walking and why. I have been blessed to have experiences where I have felt the Holy Spirit draw near and it was an incredible experience. However, with the passing of time feelings fade. This verse is like the hymn "Seek Ye First The Kingdom of God," in that it reminds me I have to stay on task. I have to stay focused. It's hard when there's always other stuff to do. There's always work, and school, and pretty soon Karen and I will have baby too. I am not begrudging the blessings and tasks I have been given. I am saying with all of the busyness in my life it is often difficult to stay focused on one thing. I wonder if God is against multi-tasking.