Found

And I will be found of you, saith the Lord… Jeremiah 29:14 (KJV)

There is a line in one of the most popular hymns known throughout the world that says, “I once was lost but now I am found.” Every time I think of those words, a flood of emotion fills my heart. Joy and gratitude rush through my soul when I think about how lost I was when Jesus found me. You may have a similar response to those liberating words which so many lost and found souls have clung to down through the ages.

We understand that as sinners, we were lost before the good news of the gospel was preached to us, and we were found. Jesus Himself said in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” This tells me He was and is on a mission to find people like you and me, to introduce us to life everlasting. 

However, I want to invite you to rethink the word found from a different perspective.

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Yes, Jesus sought after us and we were found, but I have recently become enamored with the verses found in Jeremiah 29:12-14.

“Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord…”

I am overtaken with the idea that once Jesus finds us, He wants to be found by us in return. He desires that we would seek Him with all of our hearts. It’s not enough just to be found…we must develop a relationship with the One Who found us. You might be asking the question, “Is Jesus lost?”  Of course not! 

When we seek after The Father and Jesus through prayer and the meditation of His Word, we are revealing our true hearts to Him. He knows we will only seek that which we treasure or value.  Generally speaking, things that are easily accessed often have very little value. True treasure is oftentimes hidden away in obscure, hard-to-reach places. However, because of their intrinsic value, we are willing to spend much time and energy to find them.

Our Father is not in hiding. He’s waiting patiently, giving us space for our appetite for Him to grow. Just as He met with Adam in the garden in the cool of the day, He wants us to find Him in our very own meeting place. It’s a matter of the heart. Remember what Jeremiah said in Verse 13, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

What great news! Just think about that. Prayer is not just sounding off our list of needs and wants. Prayer is our opportunity for God to unveil yet another facet of His beauty and glory to us. When we pray, treasure…eternal treasure…is ascribed to us. Our spiritual eyes are opened and we can see glimpses of our loving Father.  Hallelujah!

How much time would we spend in prayer if we did so expecting to find the greatest treasure known to man? My friend, in Matthew 7:7, Jesus encourages us to ask, seek, and knock as a matter of lifestyle. Living our lives in pursuit of God’s presence builds our relationship, strengthens our hearts, and equips us to stand in the evil day. When the storms of life beat down upon us, we will not be shaken because we have found Jesus in the secret garden of our hearts.   

Natalie B. Green

Author, Speaker, Certified Life Coach, and Personal Mentor, Natalie B. Green is a Miami, Florida native with a sincere desire to see people from all walks of life fulfill their God-given purpose. She serves alongside her husband, Pastor James A. Green, Jr. as Co-Pastor at Heart of God Ministries Church. 

Pastor Natalie is devoted to her husband, her daughter, Melody and is a doting Nana to Xavier who has and will always be her first field of ministry.  She is committed to being a beacon of light and hope to hurting people.