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Seek God |
Dear Brethren,
Where is God? Most people would say, “
That’s an easy question – He is up in heaven.” The Jews would agree that
God is in Heaven; the Muslims would agree that Allah is in heaven, and Protestants would agree
that the Lord is in heaven. And yet, God says that there are few who truly seek
Him. King David was inspired by Jesus Christ to write that almost no one
understood or sought the true Creator God. “God looked down from heaven
upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that
did seek God.” (Psalm 14:2, 53:2)
The problem is not only with those in the deceived world who would seek God on their terms,
and not in obedience to God’s terms, but the problem is also with us when we
fail to seek God. All to often, we in God’s Church say to ourselves, "I
have found God" – when the Bible describes “seeking God” as a lifelong
endeavor. No matter how long we have been members of God's Church, we can never
cease drawing ever nearer to God. “Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the
earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall
be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.” (Zephaniah 2:3)
Why do we seek God? We seek Him to truly be His children, to have a relationship with Him,
and to have eternal life with Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. But, here is the incredible
thing – we, who have been so graciously called by God the Father, are the only ones who
can seek Him and draw near to Him. We alone of all His creation have the potential
to have a relationship with our Creator God. No one can seek God unless he has heard the
call of God (John 6:44,65). For those in the world, it is impossible to draw near to God.
It is incumbent on us therefore that we do absolutely everything possible to seek Him.
For those whom God has called, it has become the highest priority to know God and His ways.
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.”
(Matthew 6:33) God describes those who are not actively seeking Him as being morally
wrong. “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not
seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” (Psalm 10:4)
Time is very short. Seek, look for, search, seek out and try to find out everything you
can about God while there is time and opportunity. “Seek ye the Lord while He
may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it
shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)
But, we cannot ask amiss, and we cannot seek in the wrong way. Jesus Christ is
the only way to the Father. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth,
and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) That
means that for us to seek the Father, we must go through Jesus – that is, follow His words
and His way of life. When we deviate from obedience to His principles and standards, we
take a wrong way that will not take us to the Father.
As sinners, we had no relationship with, nor any way of finding God the Father. Let’
s remember that it was our sins that separated God from us. How is it possible that we can
once again seek and find God? “But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off
are made near [to God the Father] by the blood of Christ… that He might reconcile
[us] unto God.” (Ephesians 2:13,16) It is only through Jesus Christ that
we have access by one Spirit to the Father (Ephesians 2:18).
The essence of true Christianity is that we could never have known God had not Jesus lived and
died to reveal the Father to us. Jesus said, “If ye had known me, ye should have
known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him.”
(John 14:7, Luke 10:22, John 1:18, Matthew 11:27) It is Jesus' desire that we
seek God and become one in Spirit with Him. Jesus prayed, "The glory which thou
gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one."
(John 17:22)
Not every man can find God the Father – that is a fact! God says, "Then
shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall
not find me: [Why?] Because that they hated knowledge, and did not choose
reverence for the Lord: They would have none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
Therefore shall they eat of the [bad results] fruit of their own way, and be filled with
their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of
fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkens
unto me [seeks my way] shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
" (Proverbs 1:28-33)
On the other hand, there are some who seek the Lord and find Him. God says, "
I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me."
(Proverbs 8:17) "Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the
Lord understand all things." (Proverbs 28:5) Here is the answer:
"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you
. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."
(James 4:8)
God offered this encouragement to His people, Israel, and now He offers the same advice to His
spiritual children, the brethren in the Church of God: “If my people, which are
called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from
their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven...” (2Chronicles 7:14)
Brethren, in baptism we were raised in Christ. Let us seek God by setting our hearts on
things above – not on the cares of this world. “If ye then be risen with
Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For
ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall
appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4)
“If…thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find Him, if
thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”
(Deuteronomy 4:29)
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"Seek God"
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