What does "if thou seek him, he will be found of thee" mean (1 Chronicles 28:9)?

Whosoever Will, Why Would He Look?: If. And then the other if. Two roads, both real, laid in front of a real person who will really walk down one of them. A father does not say “if you seek Him” to a son whose seeking was settled before the foundation of the world. He says if because the seeking is genuinely Solomon's to do or not do. “He will be found of thee” is a promise conditioned on a search that Solomon has to actually perform. And the second half is just as real: “if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off.” That is not a hypothetical that can never happen. It is a fork with two live branches, spoken to a son who could take either one. Scripture, King James Version: 1 Chronicles 28:9, "And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.".

Verified. Every scripture quotation on this page has been checked word-for-word against the King James text. Last reviewed 2026-10-18.