But from there, you will search for the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul.
Dt 4:29
"But from there...". But from where? Moses was giving the Israelites a prophetic word about their future in the land He promised them. Moses warned them that when they had children and grandchildren and they turned from the one true God and worshiped idols, He would destroy many of them and scatter the rest across the world and they would feel isolated from their God. Their only option would be to worship false gods or idols made from stone and wood. These were not living gods and could do nothing for them. Then when they remembered the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, they would search for Him. If they earnestly searched with all their heart and all their soul they would find Him and their fellowship with God would be restored.
There are times in every Christian's life that he or she might feel abandoned by God. We feel as if our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling; that God does not hear them or He is ignoring them. One of two things can be happening. First, God will allow us to tarry through seasons that feel like we have been abandoned. Our persistence will strengthen our faith. Physical exercise requires pushing against resistance in order to strengthen our muscles. So it is with our spiritual strength.
It could also be that we have fallen back into besetting sins. We pray to God and petition Him but we feel like He is not responding. His silence is a response. It is God's way of saying, "You have unrepentant sin in your life. Confess and repent." If we ignore the silence, if we ignore His call to repentance, why should He listen any further? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any unconfessed sin in your life then confess it to God, repent, and have your fellowship with the LORD restored.
When you find yourself exiled to foreign lands for unconfessed sins and you cannot find the LORD your God, confession and repentance are the first steps in seeking Him with all your heart and all your soul.
