Benefits of Seeking God in Spiritual Growth and Development
Seeking God is a fundamental aspect of spiritual growth, encompassing a range of practices and resulting in numerous benefits for believers. The Bible commands believers to seek God [5], and this pursuit involves seeking His name, word, face, strength, and commandments, as well as His kingdom and righteousness [5].
One significant benefit of seeking God is the promise of finding Him. Jeremiah 29:13 states, "And ye shall seek me, and find me," which John Gill interprets as finding a God who hears prayer, grants His presence, and provides grace and all necessary mercies, both temporal and spiritual [7]. This finding occurs when individuals seek Him through Christ, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and with faith [7]. The Apostle Paul, in Acts 17:27, explains that God made all nations so "that they might make search for God, in order, if possible, to get knowledge of him and make discovery of him" [2]. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown elaborate that the difficulty in finding God outside of revealed religion is not due to His distance, but humanity's distance from Him because of sin [9].
Seeking God also leads to prosperity and spiritual understanding. King Uzziah, for instance, "set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the vision of God: and as long as he sought Yahweh, God made him to prosper" [1]. This prosperity is not limited to material wealth but extends to overall well-being and success in life. Spiritual growth, which is fostered by seeking God, yields a clearer and deeper comprehension of Christian truth and conduct that pleases the Lord [12]. This understanding provides believers with the endurance and patience needed to stand firm against evil [12].
Access to God is a core benefit, facilitated by Christ, the Holy Spirit, and faith [3]. This access is a privilege for saints, allowing them to approach God with confidence to obtain mercy and grace [3]. The process of seeking God should be immediate [5] and involves self-examination, which is enjoined in 2 Corinthians 13:5 [4]. This self-examination should be conducted with holy awe, diligent search, prayer for divine searching, and a purpose of amendment [4].
Furthermore, seeking God is linked to spiritual growth, which is described as growing in grace [8]. This growth involves an increase in the gifts of grace through their use and a desire for more, which can help preserve believers from error [8]. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, granting them His presence and fresh supplies of grace [10]. Those who fear God are glad when they see others in spiritual prosperity, delighting in their illumination by the Spirit and their exercise of faith [11]. Isaiah 55:6 urges believers to "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near," emphasizing the urgency and the propitious nature of God during this time [6].
Sources
- 2 Chronicles “He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the vision of God: and as long as he sought Yahweh, God made him to prosper. -- 2 Chronicles 26:5”
- Acts “Acts 17:27 (BBE) — So that they might make search for God, in order, if possible, to get knowledge of him and make discovery of him, though he is not far from every one of us:”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Access to God — Is of God -- Ps 65:4. Is by Christ -- Joh 10:7, 9; 14:6; Ro 5:2; Eph 2:13; 3:12; Heb 7:9, 25; 10:19; 1Pe 3:18. Is by the Holy Spirit -- Eph 2:18. Obtained through faith -- Ac 14:27; Ro 5:2; Eph 3:12; Heb 11:6. Follows upon reconciliation to God -- Col 1:21,22. In Prayer -- See Prayer. De 4:7; Mt 6:6; 1Pe 1:17. In his temple -- Ps 15:1; 27:4; 43:3; 65:4. To obtain mercy and grace -- Heb 4:16. A privilege of saints -- De 4:7; Ps 15:1; 23:6; 24:3,4. Saints have, with confidence -- Eph 3:12; Heb 4:16; 10:19,20. Vouchsafed to repenting sinners -- See Repen”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Self-Examination — Enjoined -- 2Co 13:5. Necessary before the communion -- 1Co 11:28. Cause of difficulty in -- Jer 17:9. Should be engaged in With holy awe. -- Ps 4:4. With diligent search. -- Ps 77:6; La 3:40. With prayer for divine searching. -- Ps 26:2; 139:23,24. With purpose of amendment. -- Ps 119:59; La 3:40. Advantages of -- 1Co 11:31; Ga 6:4; 1Jo 3:20-22.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Seeking God — Commanded -- Isa 55:6; Mt 7:7. Includes seeking His Name. -- Ps 83:16. His word. -- Isa 34:16. His face. -- Ps 27:8; 105:4. His strength. -- 1Ch 16:11; Ps 105:4. His commandments. -- 1Ch 28:8; Mal 2:7. His precepts. -- Ps 119:45,94. His kingdom. -- Mt 6:33; Lu 12:31. His righteousness. -- Mt 6:33. Christ. -- Mal 3:1; Lu 2:15,16. Honour which comes from him. -- Joh 5:44. Justification by Christ. -- Ga 2:16,17. The city which God has prepared. -- Heb 11:10,16; 13:14. By prayer -- Job 8:5; Da 9:3. In his house -- De 12:5; Ps 27:4. Should be Immediate. -- H”
- Isaiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Isaiah 55:6: The condition and limit in the obtaining of the spiritual benefits (Isa 55:1-3): (1) Seek the Lord. (2) Seek Him while He is to be found (Isa 65:1; Psa 32:6; Mat 25:1-13; Joh 7:34; Joh 8:21; Co2 6:2; Heb 2:3; Heb 3:13, Heb 3:15). call--casting yourselves wholly on His mercy (Rom 10:13). Stronger than "seek"; so "near" is more positive than "while He may be found" (Rom 10:8-9). near--propitious (Psa 34:18; Psa 145:18).”
- Jeremiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Jeremiah 29:13: And ye shall seek me, and find me,.... When persons seek the Lord aright, they always find him; a God hearing prayer; a God in Christ; bestowing favours upon them; granting them his presence; indulging them in communion with him; and favouring them with fresh supplies of his grace, and everything needful for them; every mercy, temporal and spiritual; that is, when they seek him in Christ, who is the only way to the Father, under the guidance and influence of the blessed Spirit; in the exercise of faith upon him and his promises; with fervency of spirit and ardour o”
- 2 Peter (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Peter 3:18: But grow in grace,.... In the gifts of grace, which, under a divine blessing, may be increased by using them: gifts neglected decrease, but stirred up and used, are improved and increase. And though men are to be thankful for their gifts, and be contented with them, yet they may lawfully desire more, and in the use of means seek an increase of them, which may be a means of preserving themselves, and others, from the error of the wicked. Moreover, by "grace" may be meant internal grace. The work of grace is gradual; it is like a grain of mustard seed, or like seed cas”
- Acts (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Acts 17:27: That they should seek the Lord--That is the high end of all these arrangements of Divine Power, Wisdom, and Love. if haply they might feel after him--as men groping their way in the dark. and find him--a lively picture of the murky atmosphere of Natural Religion. though he be not far from every one of us--The difficulty of finding God outside the pale of revealed religion lies not in His distance from us, but in our distance from Him through the blinding effect of sin.”
- Lamentations (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Lamentations 3:25: The Lord is good to them that wait for him,.... For the enjoyment of him as their portion in this world, and in that to come; for his presence here and hereafter; which they are sometimes now deprived of, but should wait patiently for it; since he has his set time to arise and favour them with it; to such is he "good" communicatively, and in a special way and manner. They that wait for him shall not be ashamed, or disappointed of what they expect; they shall renew their spiritual strength, and grow stronger and stronger; they shall inherit the earth, the new hea”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 119:70: They that fear thee will be glad when they see me,.... In outward prosperity, delivered from all troubles, set on the throne of Israel, and at rest from all enemies round about: and in spiritual prosperity, being illuminated by the Spirit of God, having a spiritual understanding of divine things, an obedience of faith to the commands of God, in the lively exercise of grace upon him, in comfortable frames of soul, and flourishing circumstances. Now they that fear the Lord, that have the grace of fear in their hearts, and are true worshippers of God, as they delight t”
- Colossians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Colossians 1:9: 1:9-10 Paul prays that God would grant his readers deeper understanding of the Good News and its full expression in their lives. Spiritual growth yields a clearer and deeper comprehension of Christian truth and conduct that pleases the Lord, through which a believer will have the endurance and patience to stand firm against evil (1:11).”