Last week I had the opportunity to take a walk with my four-and-a-half year old grandson. That “half” thing is important. He understands that four-and-a-half is more than four, so you’d better get it right or you will likely be corrected.

We were holding hands and just walking along when he said to me, “I like being with you, Nana.” Be still my heart!! Somehow I managed to respond, “I like being with you, too, Connor” before my throat closed off with the raw emotion of that sweet moment. Connor won’t remember it, but I know I will carry it to my grave.

Oh, to be four (and a half) again, and be able to live in every moment with such singular focus! The pleasure of taking a walk with a grandparent, the lack of worry about whether or not lunch would be provided, the easy and carefree days…one blessing of childhood is that it is probably the only time in our lives when we get to focus on one thing at a time.

Imagine if we could corral that feeling when it comes to our relationship with God. Imagine if we could spend five minutes a day just thinking about his love for us, the many blessings we receive, and his constant presence, without distraction or concern for anything else.

When the Israelites were taken into exile to Babylon, they longed to return to Jerusalem. They missed their home, hated being strangers in a strange land, and thought of nothing else. But God instructed them to settle down, plant gardens, celebrate weddings, and make a life for themselves while they waited. Ever wonder why?

I think a clue is found in verse 13 of Jeremiah 29:

Jeremiah 29 (New International Version)

¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

You will find me when you seek me WITH ALL YOUR HEART.

You see, while their hearts were divided between living in exile and longing for home, they couldn’t focus on God. They weren’t seeking him because they were looking for their past, for a way home, and for a way out of their current situation. But when God instructed them to settle down by settling down, they settled their minds, their lives, and their hearts. Suddenly they were able to seek him with ALL their hearts. Whenever we do that, we find God.

What is dividing you today? What are you seeking instead of God? Is a longing for the past preventing you from being in the Lord’s presence in the present?

Guess what…God is seeking you with HIS whole heart. When we do likewise, he will be found and made known to us.

So call on God today. Pray to him. Seek him, not just with a fraction of your attention, but with all your heart. Seek, and you will find. Guaranteed.