It was when Moses turned aside, when he stopped to look, that is when God met him.
Exodus 3:3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
There are many scriptures that indicate an if…then relationship between man’s action, between man’s seeking, and God’s response.
II Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.
Psalm 34:15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
When this principle of man (mankind, people) drawing near to God first is repeated over and over, in various ways, it indicates that it is important.
Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
II Chronicles 15:2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
II Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.
This is why there are many recommendations from various Bible teachers to have a time set aside to seek the Lord, to read the Bible, to pray and listen, to journal, to jot down thoughts the Lord gives you regarding your situation, to write about answered prayers, to take the life with God seriously, to thank the Lord, to ask God for wisdom, to learn to obey and follow His instructions through the Bible and through individual inspirations (in line with the written Word of God) given uniquely by the Lord for your particular situation.
God is not a drive-by God.
What you sow, you reap.
A serious gardener takes time to prepare the soil, plant correctly, and cultivate the crops.
The garden of the soul is no different. The seed is the Word of God.
James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.