Ok, it’s tomorrow and I said I’d talk more on this then. Of course, using that logic I suppose I could put it off indefinitely.
But I won’t.
Why do so many think God is playing Hide and Seek with them?
No, why do so many think God is playing Hide and NO Seek with them? That’s a better description of the game we think He plays. In this altered version of the childhood favorite, God hides and no amount of seeking on our part ever really finds Him.
Sound familiar?
I thought so. But is this a fair or even accurate description of how God relates to us? Consider the following:
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, Jeremiah 29:13–14 (NIV)
God says flat out that our version of Hide and NO Seek is bogus. But I like the way the Message puts it a bit better. Check this out,
When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God‘s Decree. “I’ll turn things around for you.
Say what you want. but no honest person can come to the conclusion that their lack of discovery where God is concerned has anything to do with God not wanting to find them. It just isn’t the case.
But a lot of people still feel lost.
Am I right? Can I get an amen?
I thought so. So let’s decipher this thing before anyone else gets hurt.
First of all, we need to begin with the assumption that the way to find God is indeed to seek Him. He confirms this over and over in His Word. So, if the act of seeking is required, yet so many fail even though they would swear to you that they have sought God—the problem is in the method. Here are some flawed methods and reasoning people use to connect with God:
- Seeking Him in order to get something from Him
- Seeking Him through half-hearted (or no-hearted) religion
- Seeking Him by trying to gain His favor through being ‘good enough’
- Seeking Him out to prove Himself to you
- Seeking Him on behalf of someone else before you even know Him
- Seeking Him so others will think you are righteous
There are more, but I think you get the picture.
So how should we seek Him, and what should we expect when we find Him?
Well, how bout I answer half of that today and the other half tomorrow? I’ve got a sermon to finish up.
“How should we seek Him?”
Answer, with the heart and not just the head. Notice I did not say ‘with the heart “rather than” the head. That’s because so many people seem to believe that Christianity and science or reason have little in common yet nothing could be further from the truth. Most of the early great scientists were Christians. You do not have to put your intellect on hold when you seek God, in fact, you better not! You just need to marry your heart and your faith to that intellect as well.
How much of your heart?
ALL your heart is what the text says. That means you take the pursuit of God seriously. You don’t just throw some challenge God’s way and walk away because He did not jump through the ready made hoop you held up for Him.
Honestly, that’s incredibly arrogant. Remember, He’s God and we are not. I don’t know about everyone else, but it helps a lot when I periodically remind myself of this seemingly trivial bit of information.
So, let your heart take the lead on this one. Don’t dictate to God what He must do in order to prove Himself to you—in order to show that He really cares. Wasn’t sending His Son to die in our place enough? He loves you and me very much. What remains now is for you to come to the end of yourself and the beginning of Him.