Seeking God

The truth is this: You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest.

Yes, says the Lord, I will be found by you, and I will end your slavery and restore your fortunes, and gather you out of the nations where I sent you and bring you back home again to your own land. Jeremiah 29:10-14

A.B. Barber lives in Ohio. It was one of the most precious gifts her husband ever gave her. The 18 fuzzy, day-old chicks toddled to and fro exploring their new home. They sipped water, nibbled feed, and snuggled together under the heat lamp. Caring for chicks was a new experience for her. She checked on them through out the day.

Each time, A.B. came near, one chick would race over to her and then jump up and down. She wasn't sure what she was doing, but one day she decided to pick her up. She calmed down and sat quietly in her hands. it delighted her heart that she wanted A.B. more than the things she had provided. While the other chicks wobbled to the food, water, and warmth, she wobbled to her. She grew into a fine hen, beautiful and gentle, and she continued to search for her in the farmyard. She would tap A.B.'s boot with her beak, and A.B. would bend down to see her with great delight.

God used that little chick to show A.B. the wonder of drawing near. Just as she would seek A.B. and find her, we are assured that we can seek and find God. God sees us wobbling and flapping. God feels us tapping and jumping for attention.When we seek God with all our hearts, God lovingly bends down and, with great delight, draws us close.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for using your creation to give us glimpses of yourself. Help us seek you with all our hearts, in Jesus' name. Amen.