Jeremiah 29:13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

Do you ever find yourself going down a rabbit hole on the internet when you are trying to figure something out? I do this all the time when I am reading the Bible. I think, “I wonder what that means” and away I go digging and searching Google for the meaning. Sometimes the meaning I discover will just give context to what was is happening in the world at that time and sometimes it helps me understand the passage better.

For example, I was reading in Matthew 9 about Jesus going to Matthew’s house to eat dinner. It said, “as Jesus reclined at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.” Okay, stop. Why would they be reclining? You don’t recline to eat. You sit upright. Otherwise, you would make a mess with your food and probably get indigestion.

So away I go, searching the internet to see if I can figure out why the Bible specifically mentions that they were reclining. After a little bit of research, I found out that when the Romans defeated the Greeks in 146 BC, they adopted the Greek style of reclining dining. So, Jesus and his disciples, living in the day of the Roman Empire, ate this way too, in a reclining position rather than sitting down. Interesting. I had no idea.

This shed a new light on the Last Supper too. In Matthew 26:20 it says, “When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve.” If they were reclining, then the famous painting of The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci is a little off. The Last Supper would have probably looked more like the first picture than the second.

I never know what I’m going to find when I start researching things in the Bible, so it is exciting to me. In the end I always grow from the experience. I gain a better understanding of the Bible and of the world they were living in. It helps me visualize the scene and retain the meaning of the passage better.

So, what about you? When you read the Bible and don’t understand something, do you take time to do a little research? Do you dig a little deeper? Do you spend time looking for God wholeheartedly? In Jeremiah 29:13 it promises that “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.”  What a wonderful promise that is. The extra time you take to look for him will not be wasted. He promises that You. Will. Find. Him. I encourage you to spend time in the word today.

Heavenly Father, I know that your word always produces fruit. Guide me to use my time wisely and to search for you wholeheartedly. Open my mind, heart and soul to what you are telling me. Amen.