Psalm 119:2 “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart”.
Introduction: Many times, in the Bible, we see God’s blessing connected to a condition. In other words, we see that God places a condition on a person in the Bible, or a Christian today, and when that condition is met, then God will bless that person. One of those conditions in the Bible is this, a man or a woman that seeks the Lord with the whole heart will be blessed by God. God wants to be sought by every single believer, regardless of how small or large your petition is, and He wants it to be done with the whole heart. Because Wednesdays are primarily prayer meeting, we hope you are encouraged this evening, to seek the Lord with the whole heart.
Let’s look at three people in the Bible that sought the Lord with the whole heart and were blessed by God for doing so.
I. Hannah- I Samuel 1:1 – Hannah desperately needed to get a hold of God because she wanted a child. She didn’t just want a child for selfish reasons but to give him up to the Lord, and for His service vs 11 “then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life”.
Hanna seeking God with the whole heart- I Samuel 1:4-7
- Vs 5, Praying for God to open her womb, for “the Lord had shut up her womb”.
- Vs 6, “and her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret”
- Vs 10, Hannah “was in bitterness of soul, and wept sore”
- Vs 11, during her affliction, during her troubles.
- Vs 27-28 continual prayer- “For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him”.
- This is a woman that is seeking God with the whole heart, and consequently, is blessed by God.
The Blessings of seeking God with the whole heart– I Samuel 3:19-21
- Hannah got to see her son being blessed by The Lord. What mother doesn’t want the blessing of watching their child be blessed by God and watch the Lord use him for His service.
- Hannah got to see her son be established by God to be a prophet.
- Hannah got to see how the Lord revealed himself to Samuel by the word of the Lord.
- Hannah got to see her son be the greatest Judge that Israel had. I Samuel 28:3- the people lamented when Samuel died because he was a great judge.
- I Samuel 2:21 Hannah was blessed by God with five additional children. I Samuel 2:21 “And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.”
- Only God can bless a woman who is barren and seeks God with her whole heart about having a child, and God grants her petition, gets to see that child serve God faithfully, and gives her many more children.
II. David– II Samuel 12:7 “And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel” David desperately needed to get a hold of God because he wanted reconciliation with God after taking the wife of Uriah to be his wife and killing Uriah.
David seeking God with the whole heart– Psalm 51
- Vs 1 “Have mercy upon me, O God.”
- Vs 3 “For I acknowledge my transgression; and my sin is ever before me”
- Vs 4 “against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight”
- Vs 6 “in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom”
- Vs 17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
- Acts 13:22 “a man after mine own heart”
The Blessings of seeking God with the whole heart– Psalm 51
- God put away David’s sin. II Samuel 12:13 “And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.”
- Vs 1 David’s transgression was blotted out.
- Vs 2 David’s was washed from his iniquities and cleansed from his sin
- Vs 8 David’s joy and gladness returned
- Vs 10 David’s heart was cleaned up and was given a right spirit
- Vs 11 David’s fellowship with God was restored
- Vs 11 David’s praise returned
- Only God can bless a man who has sinned, seeks God with his whole heart for forgiveness and reconciliation, and is blessed by God.
III. Nehemiah- Nehemiah 1:1 Nehemiah desperately needed to get a hold of God because he needed God to give him favor and mercy with the King. Nehemiah wanted to help his brethren that were in great affliction and reproach and to help with the wall of Jerusalem which was broken down.
Nehemiah seeking God with the whole heart– Nehemiah 1:1
- Vs 3 “are in great affliction and reproach”.
- Vs 4 “prayed before the God of heaven”.
- VS 5 “I beseech thee”.
- Vs 6 “Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I Pray before thee now, day and night”.
- Vs 11 “grant him mercy in the sight of this man”
The Blessings of Seeking God with the whole heart- Nehemiah 2:8
- Nehemiah’s prayer was answered- Nehemiah 2:8 God gave him mercy with the king and was granted his request to rebuild- “. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.”
- Nehemiah got to see open doors with the officials of Jerusalem.
- Nehemiah received protection in the face of surrounding nations. Nehemiah 2:9 “Now the king had sent captains of the army and horseman with me”.
- Nehemiah was able to see the people strengthened by God for the work they were doing. And the prosperity that God had given them, Nehemiah 2:17-20- “he will prosper us”.
- Nehemiah 6:15-16 Nehemiah ultimately was blessed when he got to see the walls rebuilt, the gates put up, and the city secured.
- Only God can bless a man who has a desire to do something for the Lord, one who seeks God with his whole heart, is blessed by watching an awesome God at work through out the whole process.
Conclusion: Sometimes we are guilty of seeking the Lord halfheartedly, and we wonder why don’t experience more blessings in life. Three different people that sought the Lord with all their heart, in three different and distinct situations with distinct petitions, and all had different outcomes however, all of them experienced the blessings of seeking the Lord with a whole heart.
You can never go wrong with seeking the Lord in the little things or the big things in life, with a whole heart. Ultimately God chooses how he will deal with your prayers, petetions, and your seeking of Him, however the principle is still true. God will bless a person that seeks God with a whole heart.
Trust God, seek Him with a whole heart, and experience the blessings of God.