“For
everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door
will be opened.” (Luke 11:10)
“My
heart says of You, “Seek His face!” Your face Lord will I seek. Do not hide
Your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; You have been my
helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Saviour.” (Psalm 27:8)
“Seek
the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)
Gold
diggers in their search for riches, dig deep. Those who seek knowledge read
widely---just any and everything they can lay their hands on. Knowledge is
power. Others seek wisdom for influence, and would stop at nothing. The search
we conduct in various endeavours is purposely for an earthly reward. We are
motivated to seek with all our strength, power, will and might---and sometimes
desperately at that. All seekers have a diligent attitude to seek and find,
propelled by the outcome undoubtedly. However, we seek God for different
motives not for profit, fame or gain. We seek Him because we feel a craving
from within that needs to be satisfied.
“I
sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all fears.” (Psalm
34:4)
“The
lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good
thing.” (Psalm 34:10)
“You
will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah
29:13)
The
Lord wants us, His creation, to seek Him. Not that He is in hiding, but because
we generally treasure what we have sought after diligently and found. When we
want something desperately, we muster all our energy and the resources
necessary to obtain it. That is the way it must be with God, who is on a higher
plane altogether. In this world, we spend a large chunk of our lives running
after fleeting passions; things that do neither last, do not matter nor satisfy
either.
“Those
who know Your name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those
who seek You.” (Psalm 9:10) Indeed God is a Rewarder of those who diligently
seek Him. It is similar to seeking Him with all our heart, soul and might. We
do not take God at face value, we need to dig deep in order to knit a stronger
bond with the Father. He is a God whose love never fails; it is renewed every
morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23) “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)
What
the Father seeks
Whilst
we may have a burning desire to seek the Lord, God has His own priorities. “Yet
a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the
Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father
seeks.” (John 4:23) God requires us to seek Him and His kingdom first before
anything else. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)
Seek
His face always
King
Jehoshaphat faced a large army that had waged war against him king of Judah. He
“...did not consult the Baals (pagan gods) but sought the God of his father
(David) and followed His commands. The Lord established the kingdom under his
control; and Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he got great wealth
and honour. His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he
removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.” (2 Chronicles
17:3-6) He found favour because this noble deed. God gave him victory over his
enemies in a spectacular way. (Read 2 Chronicles 20:13-25)
King
David knew this and in counselling his son Solomon who was to succeed him, he
said: “And you, my son, Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve
Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches
every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him,
He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”
(1 Chronicles 28:9-10)
Is
there something that you have looked for and have not found? Then you have not
looked in the right place as yet. For the Word of God is true. God is everywhere.
The hymn writer puts it this way: “Nevermore thou (you) needest (need) seek me,
I am with thee (you) everywhere. Raise the stone and thou shall find me, cleave
the wood and I am there.“ (Methodist Hymn Book no 601)
In
conclusion, true and genuine seekers of the Almighty God, Jehovah, who put
their life on the line in total abandon to Him, are assured they will find Him
and will taste of His unconditional promises. And when they ask God with
openness, honesty and sincerity to be saved from their sins, He will do it.
