Easier than Diagramming a Sentence

But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29)

I haven’t done my fact checking on this, but I’m told that kids don’t learn to diagram sentences any more. If that’s true, what a sad thing that is. That was half the fun of English class. I still diagram all kinds of things, including sentences once in a while. It’s sometimes the only way I get get my mind around something. 

Break it apart. Make it into small pieces. Figure the small pieces out one at a time and then see how they fit together. I like diagrams and spreadsheets and charts and maps. They all help me understand. 

The urge to diagram Deuteronomy 4:29 overcame me today. I’m pretty sure I cheated in a few spots where I just couldn’t remember quite what to do with a part of speech. I’m pretty sure no one here has much interest in checking my work. (Though if you’re interested, knock yourself out. I challenge any of you to give it a shot and let me know what you come up with.)

The diagram in this case helps me to break this into four smaller parts that are really four big things. The first thing is the what I think is the main thing: you will find Him.

You will find him. He’s findable. (I thought I made that word up yesterday, but I checked dictionary.com and it’s actually a real word.) He’s findable. 

He can be found. He will be found. We can find Him. 

He’s not kept away like the vice president in a secure, undisclosed location. He wants to be found. He makes Himself findable. You will find Him.

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Of course, while He’s infinitely findable, He desires to be sought out. 

We look for Him. We seek Him.

The treasure map shows where the treasure is, making the treasure findable. The road map shows us how to get from where we are to where we’re going. The signs along the way help us know we’re still on the right road. 

But the treasure does not force itself on us. Our destination doesn’t take away the journey. God makes Himself available, approachable, findable. But He doesn’t take us by force. We seek Him. We look for Him. We desire Him. We yearn for Him. 

When we do, we find Him.

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But our search is not done in indifference. We search with all our heart and with all our soul.

If we really don’t care whether we find Him or not, even if we’re wandering around “kind of” looking, we aren’t going to find Him. I’ve said before that God doesn’t want much. He wants it all. Heart, soul, all of it. God desires to be desired. He wants us to want Him. 

When we look for Him with everything we’ve got, we can’t help but find Him. Think about this. 

He’s findable. We’re seeking Him. And we’re doing it with all that is in us. How could we not find Him with all of that going on?

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I struggle to decide whether I like the first thing or the last thing the best. The first thing is that He is findable. That we will find Him. But the last thing I see when I look at the diagram is actually right at the beginning. “But if from there you seek…”

From there.

Where is there? 

Remember that Moses was talking about those who remained after God would destroy those who sought after puny gods of wood and stone. He said that God would destroy them, and swiftly that. Those that remained would be scattered. Here’s where he says “if from there.” They are scattered to the corners, worshiping things that are not God, chasing after things that don’t give life. And from there, they will seek God.  From there, they will seek Him with all their heart and with all their soul. And they will find Him. 

They will find Him.

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From the place of their rebellion, from the point of their rejection, they will turn. From there they will begin to passionately seek after God as their only source. They will give all they have to pursue the only thing that really matters. And they will find Him.

Wherever I am. Whatever I’ve done. At the point where I choose to seek God and mean it, I will find Him. From there. 

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It’s not that complicated. Not nearly as complicated as diagramming the sentence. 

From where I am, I seek Him. I look for Him. With all my heart and with all my soul.

And then what?

Then I find Him. 

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