God's Longing and Searching

  • II Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.”
  • Deuteronomy 5:29 “O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!”
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Oh how much God wants obedient hearts! From II Chron. 16:9, we learn of God’s constant searching for that kind of heart: the heart that “is perfect toward him.” From Deut. 5:29, we hear God’s longing for “such an heart” that “always” keeps “all” God’s commandments. In the article “A Man After God’s Own Heart”, we studied David, and found David to be that kind of man. Are you?

In I Kings 15:11, we learn of King Asa that Asa started out right and “did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.” (See “Right in the Eyes of the Lord”) However, II Chron. 16:9 was a rebuke from “Hanani the seer” about King Asa’s recent fall from the Lord. Hanani reminded King Asa about the million Ethiopians and Lubims (II Chron. 14:9) that could have easily conquered King Asa’s 580,000 (II Chron. 14:8) in the beginning of his reign. How did King Asa win?

  • II Chron. 16:8 “Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand.”
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Hanani the seer was sent by God to King Asa because Asa was turning to other kingdoms to fight his battles instead of God. In other words, the “perfect” heart that God is searching for like with Asa is only obtainable when we “rely” upon the Lord. It is impossible to have the perfect heart of obedience that God craves unless we rely upon the Lord by faith. King Asa started out right in the eyes of the Lord because his heart was one of faith. King Asa relied wholly upon God to obey all of God’s commandments. And we must do the same. We cannot do right in the eyes of the Lord without the Lord. We cannot be a man after God’s own heart without the heart of the Lord. The main reason why so many are disobedient and unholy today in our churches is because of our lack of adherence to God’s Word which produces faith (Rom. 10:17), and then living by faith all of God’s Word which gives us the victory (I Jn. 5:4).

King Asa was so enraged by Hanani’s truth that Hanani was cast into prison. King Asa chose to live out the rest of his life not relying upon the Lord even when he was plagued by the very disease that killed him (II Chron. 16:12). Many Christians likewise today are putting those who live by truth and preach truth in the prison of rejection in their hearts. They refuse to acknowledge God’s longing and searching for the perfect heart of complete obedience which only comes from a life of faith in and by God’s Word. Will you fulfill God’s longing and searching, dear reader?