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Jeremiah 29:13 – And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (KJV)
Recently, I received an interesting e-mail in response to a post I had written in 2006 on ancestry.com. As you can imagine, I was very surprised and delighted finally to receive an answer after all this time! Even more amazing, this e-mail led to the information that I had been seeking for so long. As a result, I am blessed to have met my third cousin, who has fond memories of my grandparents and other members of my mother's family. What is more, she has sent me a copy of a special photograph showing our great-grandfather from Barcelona, as well as the written records of many other relatives.
This experience reminded me of the steps that I once took in seeking a personal relationship with the Lord. First, I listened to the testimony of others. Next, Bible study was vital in confirming the scriptural record for my own assurance. Then, after carefully examining the information available to me, I began piecing it together, much like the historical research involved with years of family history. Consequently, as God promised in today's verse from Jeremiah, I discovered the Lord. Over time, His awesome image began to emerge even more brightly, like a spiritual photograph flashing across every page of the holy Bible.
If we search for God's truth with all our hearts, we will no doubt find Him who is the central person of both the Old and New Testaments: the Messiah of Israel, the Son of the living God. As Jesus said:
John 5:39 – Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. (KJV)
Luke 24:27 – And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, [Jesus] expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. (KJV)
The best part about meeting my cousin was learning that we both share faith in the Lord. This, I believe is the tie that truly binds. Although genealogy is a fun and exciting hobby, it can educate us only in regard to the past, leaving no hope for the future. In contrast, Bible study not only imparts the knowledge of God throughout history, but also it offers eternal life to those who believe.
Discovering who Jesus is is only the beginning. As Christians, it is up to us to search the scriptural records diligently by piecing together the invaluable information God has preserved for us down through the centuries.
Have you searched for Him with all your heart? What amazing new things have you discovered? May we choose each day to make Bible study a priority in our lives as we seek to know better both Him and "the hope to which he has called you". (Ephesians 1:18 NIV)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You for the written Word that has withstood the test of time. May all who seek Your face rejoice in the revelation of Your Son, Who is the way, the truth, and the life. Grant that we may read, learn, and inwardly digest all that He has taught us, as we look always to Your Holy Spirit for guidance. In Jesus' blessed name, we pray. Amen.
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Amen, Lori! Well written!
Thanks for a good reminder Lori.
Great devotional Lori, Thank you!
Lori, thank you for sharing with us. I enjoyed this very much.
Amen!
Thank you for writing, Lori.
Thank you Lori. True to the word! This was something I needed to read today. May God richly bless you as you serve Him!
Lori, What a delight to connect with our family members, but won’t it be awesome when we get to heaven and meet everyone in the family of God!? Thanks for writing. Blessings.
Lori, what a wonderful analogy and message.
How exciting. To find some family members too.
May God continues to bless you with your powerful words and messages, for His kingdom, and continue to bind your family together, from all corners of the earth.
Hi Lori,
What an interesting submission. I really enjoyed it…but it was bittersweet as regards the genealogy. All our efforts to trace beyond one generation were thwarted because both my mothers and my father’s side, one with 9 the other with 10 children all had nick names. And their children as well went by anything but their real names and as for their addresses — total waste of time.
But we can start with my wife and myself from the time we came to Canada. God give us the grace to get it right. So far we have only given names.
Blessings.
Dear Lori,
I received such a blessing as I read your devotional today. Thank you for the insights that your words impart to us, your readers. The truths of the Word literally came to the forefront with such clarity as I read your piece. Thank you for writing. I pray for God’s blessings on you as you continue to write for Him.
Good Morning Lori:
Over and over again the Lord asks us to be patient, to seek and to find. You were indeed patient, you sought and you did find your third cousin all the way from Spain. You seem to be excited knowing you can search your family roots and learn more about your Spanish forefathers. Your great-grandfather, whose photo you have, and the other members of your Barcelona family would have been blessed had they had the privilege of knowing you. You are a woman of strong Christian character, as you so vividly portray in the entire contents of your devotional, your expression of humble gratitude in finding your Lord is what makes you such a great person.
It is my prayers our readers will truly adhere to your words, “If we search for God’s truth with all our hearts, we will no doubt find Him who is the central person of both the Old and New Testament: the Messiah of Israel, the Son of the Living God.” and claim Him as their Heavenly Father today.
Thank you for all the beautiful words of wisdom, love and challenge you present to us over and over again in your wonderful writings that always bring Glory to our Master.
Lori, I think this may be your best devotional yet! His awesome image began to emerge even more brightly, like a spiritual photograph, flashing across every page of the holy Bible. What beautiful poetry and what a blessing you are to so many people.
Amen!