Jeremiah 24:7
Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.
If we look for God He will reveal Himself to us. If we refuse to acknowledge Him even the rocks will cry out in worship. God wants us to choose to love Him as He loves us. He will never force His will on us. We choose who we will serve either the darkness of the world or the good that is inherent in all of His creation. No greater love exists that He would give up His body and blood for our sins that through Him the world could be saved. John 3:17. Carla
Jeremiah 29:11-13
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
The Lord here places considerable emphasis on His unchangeable plan to bring peace and not evil. God had not terminated His relationship with Judah; He remembered His covenant promises of restoration (Deuteronomy 30:1–10).
Yahweh assures the exiles that His long-term plan is good and that He has not abandoned them. Their national calamity would have precipitated feelings of hopelessness and abandonment. Faithlife Study Bible
The promised response of the Lord to the people’s prayers stands in contrast to His refusal to hear in 7:16. The picture here differs greatly from the usual depiction of the heart of the people of Judah as stubborn and wicked. God would search the people’s heart and reveal its true character (11:20). Those who seek God with a whole heart will find Him and experience His renewal. I will bring you back … gather you … bring you to the place. God was the captor, and He would restore His people from captivity. The NKJV Study Bible
Deuteronomy 4:29
But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Jeremiah 33:3
‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
Psalm 145:19
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he tells the boy. “It is a relentless fight that takes a toll, and it is between two wolves. One wolf is evil. He is a mixture of rage, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”
He continues, “The other wolf is good. He is a mixture of joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. And this same fight is going on inside you—and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thinks about what his grandfather tells him for a minute, and then asks, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee replies, “The one you feed the most.”
So. Let us pause. And take this invitation to heart: “Don’t tell me what you believe, show me how you behave, and then I will know what you believe.” Even in a world of cacophony, and what feels like heartlessness, we are still connected to one another. We still can and do, make a difference.
A human world of helping.
No one of us is on this journey alone.
And maybe today, the armor can come down. Sabbath Moments
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