29 The Best Advice!

The Best Advice!

"Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God!" 1 Chronicles 22:19

You have neglected this important matter too long. It ought to have occupied your thoughts, and have engaged your mind long ago. The knowledge of God is necessary to your peace, holiness, and happiness. All men are ignorant of him by nature. They are "without God." They know him not. They love him not. They believe him not. They are alienated from God by wicked works. This was your state once, if it is not now. Your present afflictions call upon you with a loud voice, to seek the Lord. They say, "Seek the Lord while you may be found, call you upon him while he is near!" "Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God!"

You are exhorted to "seek the Lord your God." He created you by his power. He gave you your being at first. You would have never existed, but for him. It was his sovereign wisdom and power, which formed you.

He preserves you by his providence. All your supplies are from him. He holds your soul in life. He has kept you from sudden death, and preserved you from ten thousand dangers. You had long since sunk into the grave — but for his preserving goodness.

He visits you by his gospel. In his word God comes near to you. He speaks to you. He sets before you your state, points out your danger, invites you to Jesus, and promises salvation to all who believe in his name. He is near you now. He has visited you on this sick bed. He sent you this little book. He speaks to you at this moment. He counsels you in kindness. He warns you in love. He waits to be gracious unto you. He strives with you by his Spirit. You have felt conviction. You have been alarmed at your state. You were afraid to die and appear before God. You found that you needed something which you had not got. You were stirred up to think. You were prompted to seek the Lord. This was the striving of the Holy Spirit. It was God at work upon your soul. He will judge you by his Son. He has fixed the day. He has given you notice of it. He has commanded you to prepare for it. Your indictment is drawn up. The witnesses against you are ready. It is only the long-suffering of God that keeps you in the land of hope, within reach of mercy, under the sound of the gospel.

"Now then, set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God!" Seek him with earnestness, for your souls salvation is at stake. Nothing is of half so much importance to you as this. "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." Strive, even to agony. Set your heart upon it. Make it your one business. Throw all the energies of your soul into it. You cannot be too earnest.

Seek him with sincerity. Formal service is rejected by God. To seek with the mouth without the heart, is hypocrisy. You must feel the importance of the matter. You must realize its solemnity. You must from your inmost soul desire to know, possess, and enjoy God above everything else.

Seek him with determination. Let nothing divert you from it. Satan will try, he will entice you with a thousand things. But resist the devil — and he will flee from you. Your carnal friends may endeavor to divert your mind from the subject — but yield not to their solicitations. It is for your life. Your happiness or misery in eternity depends upon your seeking or neglecting the Lord in time.

"Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God!" The present is the proper time. Are you young? Youth is the very best season. There are more encouragements given to the young to seek the Lord than to any other. Are you more advanced in age? The greater reason there is, that you should not delay one moment, lest your heart become hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Now while you are afflicted, seek the Lord. Perhaps this affliction was sent on purpose to give you time, and to stir you up to this important duty. Seek the Lord now while mercy waits, and may be obtained; while Jesus pleads, and will not cast out; while the gospel trumpet sounds, and encourages you to expect pardon, peace, liberty, and eternal life; while the refuge is open to receive you, into which you may run and be safe; while the Spirit is promised, and is given to every one that asks; while salvation is bestowed without money and without price; now while under the joyful gospel sound.

Seek the Lord now . . .
before sin hardens you;
before Satan blinds you;
before the world gets entire dominion over you;
before God says, "Let him alone!"
before the judge says, "He who is unjust — let him be unjust still; and he who is filthy — let him be filthy still."

"Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God." You have delayed quite long enough. You have now a fine opportunity. You have the greatest possible encouragement. You may never have such a season again. My dear friend, upon what is your heart now set? Is it simply upon restoration to health, or deliverance from your present affliction? This is but a secondary matter. May the Holy Spirit now set your heart to seek the Lord with a steady, fixed, and unwavering determination. Upon what is your heart likely to be set forever? If it is not set upon seeking the Lord now — then it will not be set upon glorifying the Lord in eternity. If you do not seek the Lord in time — then you cannot enjoy him in eternity. If you are not made holy in this world — then nothing can make you happy in the next. Begin then from this moment, and seek the Lord with all your heart and soul. Or if you have began to seek him, persevere steadily and earnestly until you find him.