Searching out a man

One of my favourite passages from Scripture is, ‘For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose hearts are completely His’. 2 Chron 16:9. I remember how powerfully it impacted upon me as I began to realise that God was for me. If you have a victim mentality or if you feel that life is somehow against you, then you need to rethink. This is not what the gospel teaches, and it is not the Christian life. God is proactively for you.

However, we note in this verse that God is searching. He is not supporting just anyone. He is seeking to support those whose hearts are fully His. In the book of Samuel, David is referred to as a man after God’s own heart. The mystery of the Christian life is that He searches out a man. What kind of man is He searching for? I think it is a giver. I am distressed that the Christian church is now being taught that the gospel is about what you receive. At best, that is only fifty percent of the equation. The heart of God is a heart of giving. If you are to have a heart after God’s own heart, then you are to be commensurate with Him. You must be a giver.

I am intrigued by the free gift of God which is salvation. It is almost as if I didn’t read the fine print properly! I came to Christ with the offer of a free gift. I didn’t realise it was only free because He gave it ‘freely’. And here is the irony. That which He gave freely, cost Him everything. We receive freely and without charge, but having received His gift, it begins to cost us everything. ‘Freely you received, freely give.’ Matt 10:8. There are no other criteria. The Christian life is a giving life.

David Falk

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Feature Articles
September 2008

Searching out a man

The new birth

Signs of the times

The national anthem

Overcoming fear & anxiety

Anointed with oil

Compassion that restores

The success formula

Desire to be known

At ease in your youth

The mother of all wars