Seeking God: The Condition Behind the Blessing

I Chronicles 28: 9-10 “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. Be careful now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary, be strong and do it.”

That is David’s final charge to Solomon. Do not use God. Do not honor God from a distance. Instead, know Him. Serve Him. With a whole heart. With a willing mind. Because, David warns, the Lord is not fooled by appearances—He searches every heart and understands every plan and thought.

Then comes the line that should make every reader uncomfortable:
If you seek Him, He will be found by you. But if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.

David is old. His greatest dream—building a temple for God—will never be fulfilled by his own hands. God has said no. Instead, the task will belong to his son. And David, though disappointed, does not sulk, bargain, or disengage. He spends the rest of his life preparing Solomon to succeed where he himself was forbidden to go. He gathers materials. He draws plans. He recruits craftsmen. Then he hands everything over to a young man who must have felt the crushing weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders.

And what does David give Solomon above all else? Not strategy. Not politics. Not confidence in his own ability. He gives him this: Know God.

Because David knows something Solomon must learn quickly—God already sees every thought, every motive, every hidden plan. There is no neutral ground. You are either seeking Him or forsaking Him. There is no autopilot in the life of faith.

David also gives Solomon two promises. The first is sobering: seek God and you will find Him; forsake Him and you will lose everything. Solomon will one day prove that both are true.

The second promise is empowering: Be strong and courageous and do it…for the Lord God is with you until all the work is finished.
But notice the limit. The promise covers the work. After the temple is complete, the pursuit of God must continue—or the blessing will not.

And here is the question that will not leave us alone:
Are you living as if yesterday’s obedience guarantees tomorrow’s blessing?

God is not a vending machine—insert prayer, receive favor. His blessings are not rewards for occasional spiritual effort; they are invitations into ongoing relationship. And relationships do not survive neglect, assumption, or coasting. They require pursuit.

So, I have to ask myself—and now I ask you:
Where have you assumed God’s presence instead of seeking it?
Where have you relied on past faithfulness instead of present obedience?
Where is God calling you to stop building projects for Him and start knowing Him again?

Because He is still found by those who seek Him.
But only by those who do.