What We Should Always Be Doing

There are several things that the Bible says we should always be doing. I have found at least twenty-two of them in Scripture. Let's take a look at God's Word and see what they are.

Always Pray
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. (Luk 18:1)

Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."  (Luk 21:36)

Always Do What Pleases the Lord
"The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him." (Joh 8:29)

Always Keep Your Conscience Clear
"So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man." (Act 24:16)

Always Do As Love Does

[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1Co 13:7)

Always Give Yourselves Fully to the Work of the Lord
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1Co 15:58)

Always Being Given Over to Death for Jesus

"For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body." (2Co 4:11)

Always Confident
"Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord." (2Co 5:6)

Always Giving Thanks to God for Everything
"Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph 5:20)

Always Pray in the Spirit
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." (Eph 6:18)

Always Rejoice in the Lord
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Php 4:4)

Rejoice always, (1Th 5:16)

Always Full of Grace
"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Col 4:6)

Always Strive To Do What Is Good For Each Other
"Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else." (1Th 5:15)

Always Be Gentle
"...to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone." (Tit 3:2)

Always Be Prepared to Give an Answer
"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect," (1Pe 3:15)

Always Keep Your Eyes on the Lord
"I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken." (Psa 16:8)

Always Be Mindful of God's Unfailing Love
"...for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness." (Psa 26:3)

Always Extol and Praise the Lord
"I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips." (Psa 34:1). We never take a vacation from praising God.

"For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good." (Psa 52:9)

Always Have Hope
"As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." (Psa 71:14)

Always Seek His Face 
"Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always." (Psa 105:4)

Always Do What is Right
"Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right." (Psa 106:3)

Always Obey God's Commandments
"I will always obey your law, for ever and ever." (Psa 119:44)

Always Trust God
"Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." (Psa 62:8)

My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times. (Psa 119:20)

Closing Words

Therefore, based on what we have read in God's Word, there are certain things we must always do. To summarize them, we should always pray, always do what pleases the Lord, always keep your conscience clear, always do as love does, always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, always being given over to death for Jesus, always be confident, always give thanks to God for everything, always pray in the Spirit, always rejoice in the Lord, always be full of grace, always strive to do what is good for each other, always be gentle, always be prepared to give an answer, always keep your eyes on the Lord, always be mindful of God's unfailing love, always extol and praise the Lord, always have hope, always seek the Lord's face, always do what is right, always obey God's commandments, and no matter what, always trust God. May the Lord help us to do so. Amen.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: The Top Ten Things Jesus Taught, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, The Wardrobe of the Saints, Following in His Steps, and Living on Earth as They Do in Heaven. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. 

If My People Who Are Called by My Name

Let's turn together to a famous passage and see what the Lord is saying to us through it. This one comes from 2 Chronicles 7 from the time that Solomon dedicated the temple to God. After he finished building the temple, the Lord appeared to him at night and said:

"If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chr 7:14, NIV).

There are four tasks in this verse that are our duty, if we are the Lord's people who are called by His name:

1. Humble ourselves 

The first condition within our responsibility is to humble ourselves. It's necessary to humble yourself beneath the mighty hand of God and in due time he will lift you up (1 Pe 5:6). There are various ways to humble yourself, including fasting, prostrating yourself before the Lord on the floor, and going without the usual comforts of life and luxuries you typically enjoy. Daniel said, "I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over." (Dan 10:3, NIV). Sometimes the people in the Bible would put on rough, abrasive, uncomfortable clothing called sackcloth and sprinkle ashes on their heads.

2. Pray

The second condition that we must meet is to pray. Prayer is essential in order to maintain communion with God. Nothing else can take its place. It's our two-way communication with Him. We talk to Him, and we listen to what He says to us in our hearts by His Spirit and through his Word. We should have regular times of prayer each day, and then there are special seasons of prayer, too. We need to pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:17).

3. Seek His face

Our third responsibility in order to meet the conditions is to seek the Lord's face. Nobody can do it for you. Seeking His face and seeking His presence are virtually synonymous. We get hungry for God and desire His presence more than the air we breath. We long to be with Him, because we love Him. Everything else is laid aside while we seek His face.

4. Turn from our wicked ways

The fourth condition that is our responsibility is to turn from our wicked ways. This requires repentance for our sins, confessing before Him, and turning our backs on the wicked things we've been doing. For more on this, see Repentance That Leads to Life. The apostle Paul wrote:

"Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: 'The Lord knows those who are his,' and, 'Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.'” (2 Tim 2:19, NIV).

A great example of this is the way that Nehemiah prayed. He wrote, "...I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said:

'Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.'" (Neh 1:4-7). For the rest of his prayer, read verses 8-11.

Daniel was another great example of how to pray. He wrote:

"So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:

'Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.'" (Dan 9:3-6). For the rest of his prayer, read verses 7-19.

Those four conditions listed above must be met in order for us to receive the promise found in 2 Chronicles 7:14. Once we meet them, then the Lord will fulfill His promise and do his part, which includes these three things:

5. I will hear from heaven

If we want the Lord to hear our prayers, which we all do, then it behooves us to meet the four conditions above. It's an amazing thing to know that God in heaven has heard you, and this brings great joy to your heart when it happens. It's God's job to hear from heaven. His ear is not too dull to hear, "but your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." (Is 59:2).

6. I will forgive their sin

Not only does the Lord hear from heaven, but He also forgives our sin, when we meet the conditions above. He is eager to forgive us, which only He can do, but He needs us to do our part first. There can be no forgiveness without sincere repentance and turning away from wickedness. Yet "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 Jn 1:9, NIV).

7. I will heal their land

The final thing God promises to do if we meet the above conditions is to heal our land. This is His job. We cannot do it, the government cannot do it, programs cannot do it, scientists cannot do it, doctors cannot do it, and no man on earth can do it. When we look at all the problems in our land -- the crime, the lawlessness, the murder of innocent children, the drug addiction, the sickness, the disease, the hopelessness, the suicide, the poverty, the economic problems, the injustice, the social issues, the deep divisions, the wars, the political problems, the corruption in our government, the environmental problems, and the problems affecting our wildlife -- our land is in desperate need of healing. Only the Lord can heal it, so it's essential that we do our part, in order for Him to do His part.



Closing Words
We must do our job and meet certain conditions, which are to humble ourselves, pray, seeking His face, and turn from our wicked ways. But once we meet those conditions, then the Lord will do His job. which is to hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land.

Attribution notice: Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.The image may be subject to copyright, used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: Stay at Home and Seek the Lord (during COVID Quarantine), Ask for the Ancient Paths, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Bowing Low in Worship, Repentance That Leads to Life, The Land Mourns in the Last Days, Seeking Him in the Wee Hours of the Night, Crying Out to God Loudly, Lifting Your Face in Prayer, and Lifting Hands in Prayer. You may also enjoy my daughter Charity's poem called America, Turn Back to God. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Why God Hides His Face

Glory Cloud, New Hampshire

In my previous article, I explained the ongoing Hide and Seek interaction between God and man, including why God hides Himself from us and why we need to seek Him.  Today I would like to discuss a related topic, which is the fact that God's face is deliberately hidden. Did you ever wonder why He hides His face, even from those who are in heaven. We know that His face is enshrouded with divine glory, so why do you think He does that? Even the psalmist asked this question when He said, "Why do You hide your face?" (Psalm 44:23-4). This is a valid question, so let's explore it in Scripture.

First of all, do you remember when Moses asked to see God's glory? Here is how the Lord answered him. "And He said, 'I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.' But He said, 'You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!'" (Exo 33:19-20). Then God hid Moses in the cleft of the rock and passed by, but He only allowed Moses to see His backside and not His face. God explicitly told Moses why he could not see His face, when He said, "No man can see Me and live!" Therefore, we may understand from this statement that it is out of love for us that He hides His face, because it is necessary for our survival.

Therefore, we may ask why our survival depends on it, and why we would die if we saw His face. I realize that the holiness and power of God have a lot to do with that. The prophet Isaiah attempted to describe the indescribable scenes around the throne when he saw the Lord seated there high and lifted up.

In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." (Isa 6:1-5)

You notice how Isaiah knew he was ruined when his eyes beheld the King on His throne, the Lord of hosts? I'm sure you or I would feel the same way if we saw the Lord, too. John the apostle described a similar sight when He was taken up in the Spirit to heaven and stood before the throne:

"Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance." (Rev 4:2-3)

It's amazing how the luminescent smoke fills the temple during those times of worship, as the light and the glory emanate from God, who is seated upon His throne. John described it as a rainbow around the throne in appearance like an emerald. Apparently there are lovely bands of colors in the streams of light and glory surrounding Him. God wraps Himself in light as with a garment (Ps 104:2a). He enshrouds His head with this glory fog so that you cannot see His face. It's awesome to behold, and extraordinarily beautiful. In fact it is perfect in beauty, unlike anyone or anything else you have ever seen or ever will see. Scripture says, "Out of Zion comes the excellence of His beauty." (Ps 50:2, Brenton Septuagint). Other translations refer to it as "the perfection of beauty."

Glory Clouds, at Pinnacle Mtn, NH

The apostle Paul had also seen the Lord, when Jesus appeared to him at noon time while he was on the road to Damascus. At that time the Lord appeared brighter than the noon-day sun. Paul had also been caught up to Paradise and heard inexpressible words that he was not permitted to speak. He described God like this:

"God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and might forever. Amen." (1 Tim 6:15b-16, NIV)

David said, "One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple." (Ps 27:4). His one desire was to behold the beauty of the Lord.

As the lyrics say in that beautiful, worshipful song, "I Stand in Awe," the Lord is "beautiful beyond description, too marvelous for words, too wonderful for comprehension, like nothing ever seen or heard." No words, nor sounds, nor sights, nor anything you can touch or smell could ever compare to God's beauty. As that song says, "Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom? Who can fathom the depth of Your love?" The songwriter Mark Altrogge explained how he wrote that song during a period when he was reading some books on God's holiness and other attributes. He says he was blown away at the thought that, "God is an infinite being, and infinite in each of his attributes. He is infinitely holy. Infinitely powerful. Infinitely loving. Infinitely wise. In fact, because he is infinite, there will always be things about himself that only He knows. Throughout eternity, those he redeemed will never come to an end of seeing new vistas of his glory, majesty and beauty."

So please allow me to answer the question I have posed: why does our survival depend on being kept from seeing the Lord's face, and why would we die if we saw it? Perhaps one reason is that you would not be able to withstand the experience of seeing such beauty and glory; you would be overwhelmed with it to the point of being completely overcome. As the Lord says, if you saw His face while in your earthly body, you would die. And it seems that even for the saints up in glory, it is rare to see God's actual face. I'm not saying that they cannot see God, because the Scripture says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Mt 5:8). But I am specifically referring to seeing His face.

In fact, there are even some people on earth who claim they have seen God the Father. I recall one brother who said that he once saw God's face and He looked like a very handsome young man. You can read other testimonies like that in my article, The Bodily Form of God the Father, which is one of my all-time most popular articles on my blog Sun of Righteousness.

Summing it All Up

I want to close by saying that Jesus came to reveal the Father to us, and He alone can do so (Joh 1:18). When Philip asked Him to show us the Father, Jesus said that His oneness with the Father is such that if you have seen Him, you have seen the Father, and to know Him is to know the Father (Joh 14:7,9). If you would like to know God more and see the Father, then draw near to Him through His Son Jesus Christ. He said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." (Joh 14:6-7). Jesus Christ is the one and only way to the Father. There is no other way to get to see God's face. This is an experience of a lifetime that you don't want to miss for anything. In fact, it's the experience of all eternity, to which nothing else can compare. 

Why don't you begin to seek God's face now, and press in to know Him? He loves you more than anyone else in the universe, and He has prepared a place for you to be with Him where you can love Him. While He does hide His face in a cloud of glory for your own protection to keep you from dying, He still wants you to seek His face. As David said, "My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek." Let that be your heart's cry, too.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright the Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Images are actual photos of genuine Glory Cloud witnessed in my home state of New Hampshire, in New England, USA during a February 2013 weekend at the Pinnacle Mountain New Hampshire U.S.A. Photos copyright The Stewarts. I did not personally attend that event. Used according to Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note: You are invited to read Hide and Seek with God, The Bodily Form of God the Father, Jesus Alone Reveals the Father, The Link Between Two Realms, One Thing, Seeking the Lord, Our God is an Awesome God!, Who is God? -- Part I, Who is God? -- Part II, and Obedient to the Heavenly Vision. You may also like the video, Glory Cloud in New England USA. You may access the Main Directory for this Seeking the Lord blog for more articles like this, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Hide and Seek with God

Probably every one of us has played the game of hide and seek when we were children, where one person or a group of people hide and then another person tries to find them. While that is just a game, there is a reality version of hide and seek that I want to discuss, which is played out in real life every day.

Adam and Eve
Ever since the day that Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God and man have been doing this exchange of hide and seek. Before the fall, Adam and Eve enjoyed sweet fellowship with God in the garden. They were also naked and unashamed. But once they disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, then came the need to cover up and hide themselves.

"Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden." (Gen 3:7-8)

The first thing they did was to cover their nakedness and the second thing was to hide themselves from the Lord's presence. It was human nature for them to do that, but God already knew what they had done. He was aware of their sin and disobedience. He saw their nakedness and shame, and although they tried to hide from Him, He sought them out. He came into the garden looking for them. 

"Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, 'Where are you?' He said, 'I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.'" (Gen 3:9-10).

Notice that Adam was afraid when he heard the sound of the Lord coming, because he was naked, and that is why he hid himself. He felt ashamed. But the Lord asked him who told him he was naked. The Lord used questions to help Adam see the connection between his sin and his sense of shame. 

"And He said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?'" (Gen 3:11).

There is always a direct correlation between sin and shame, and the tendency is always for man to run from God and hide, as if He doesn't know about it. 

The Nation of Israel

When the nation of Israel fell away from the Lord into sin, it seemed to them as if God had hidden Himself from them. But the Lord called them to seek Him.

"Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon." (Isa 55:6-7)

There are many such admonitions in Scripture, whereby the Lord calls upon men to seek Him no matter what they have done, and turn from their wicked ways, so that they may find Him.

"But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice. For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them." (Deu 4:29-31)

"'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 'You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 'I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.'" (Jer 29:11-14)

"And if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2Ch 7:14)

The Righteous Seek Him

It is not only the wicked who need to seek the Lord, but the righteous, too. It's a joy for them to seek Him continually.

"Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually." (1Ch 16:10-11; cf. Psa 105:3-4)

The righteous devote their heart and soul to seeking the Lord.

"Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise, therefore, and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the LORD." (1Ch 22:19)

The psalmist sought the Lord with all his heart that he would not disobey Him. "I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands." (Ps 119:10, NIV)

David said, "O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water." (Psa 63:1).

David also said, "My heart says of you, 'Seek his face!' Your face, Lord, I will seek." (Ps 27:8, NIV). He had the desire in his heart to seek the Lord's face and he determined that he was going to do it. In fact, seeking the Lord is what David wanted to do all the days of his life. He said, "One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple." (Ps 27:4, NIV).

I believe that this last verse speaks not only of seeking the Lord in His temple here on earth, but also throughout eternity in His holy temple in heaven. For David spoke of gazing on the beauty of the Lord there. I believe the righteous will enjoy seeking the Lord and gazing upon His beauty forever and ever.

Promises to Those Who Seek Him

In addition to the promises I have already mentioned, the Lord has given many other promises to those who seek Him.

He promises never to forsake those who seek Him. "And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You." (Psa 9:10)

He promises that those who seek Him will lack no good thing. "The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing." (Psa 34:10)

He promises to be good to them. "The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him." (Lam 3:25)

Blessings are promised to them. "Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart— they do no wrong but follow his ways." (Ps 119:2-3, NIV).

He promises to draw near to us as we draw near Him. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (Jas 4:8)

He promises to reward those who diligently seek Him, and anyone who seeks the Lord must have faith that He will do so. For the apostle wrote: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that he exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." (Heb 11:6, NIV)

God Hides Himself
One reason we need to seek the Lord is that He hides Himself. The prophet Isaiah said, "Truly, You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, Savior!" (Is 45:15). Why does He do so?

God Wants All Men to Seek Him

It's God's desire that all men would seek Him, and that's why He created them and caused them to be born in the places where they were born at the exact times they were born.

"The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God." (Ps 14:2, NIV)

"From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us." (Ac 17:26-27, NIV).

This passage tells us that while God wants all men to seek Him, He is actually not far from any one of us.

The Kingdom of God is Like Hidden Treasure

In fact Jesus compared the kingdom of God to hidden treasure that a man found buried in a field.

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it." (Mat 13:44-46)

You will find that many things in God's kingdom are like that, including finding Jesus, hearing the Lord's voice, and discovering the truth in Scripture. If you read the Bible, praying and asking God to speak to you, then search the Scriptures like you are searching for buried treasure, you will never be disappointed. You will find many passages to be like nuggets of gold that you have found.

Jesus Came to Seek the Lost

Amazingly, the reason Jesus came to earth was to seek and to save the lost. He said, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”(Lk 19:10, NIV). He admonishes us all throughout Scripture to seek Him, and yet He Himself is actively seeking the lost. Just as the Lord walked into the garden after Adam and Eve sinned and sought them out while they were hiding from Him, He continues to seek and save the lost today. 

In order to illustrate His great love for lost sinners and His eagerness to search for them, Jesus told them this parable, saying, "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." (Luk 15:3-7)

The parable of the prodigal son also illustrates how God seeks the lost. When the prodigal son comes to his senses and returns to his father to repent, the father is already watching for him. And while the son is drawing near to him from a long distance, the father runs to meet him and embrace him. "So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him." (Luk 15:20).

Ways That Men Hide from God
I have already covered some of the ways that men hide from God. We do it much the same way as Adam and Eve did so.

One way that men hide from God is they carry out their sinful deeds under cover of darkness. Paul said, "For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night." (1 Thes 5:7, NIV). One reason why people do their dirty deeds at night is that the darkness hides their identity. Whether they are partying, doing drugs, getting drunk, dancing, carousing, committing sexual immorality, or stealing, they often do so in the dark of night.

One reason I think they do so is that the people who see them do their dirty deeds are those who approve of them and do the same things. But if other people were to see them during the daytime in broad daylight and disapprove, it would bother the sinners' consciences. Our conscience is something God has given to each one of us, and He speaks to us through our conscience telling us when we have done something either bad or good. Either our conscience convicts us of wrongdoing or commends us when we do what is right. By hiding in darkness from the disapproving gaze of the public, those who do so are in effect trying to avoid having their consciences bothered. By avoiding the pangs of conscience, they are actually trying to hide from God.

Jesus said, "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." (Joh 3:19-20).

It will not go well for those who seek to hide their sin. "Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD, And whose deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, 'Who sees us?' or 'Who knows us?'" (Isa 29:15).

Another way men hide from God is they cover up their sin and deny it. The hypocrites that Jesus encountered did this. Their hearts were full of greed and wickedness, and yet they covered over it by acting and dressing piously. "Then the Lord said to him, 'Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.'" (Lk 11:39, NIV). It's human nature for men to desire the approval of men, rather than the approval of God, so rather than confess their sin to God and men, they conceal their sin and go out of their way to look good in front of everyone.

When men do this, then they should not be surprised if God hides His face from them. He says, "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." (Is 59:2, NIV). When the Israelites deserted God and forgot Him, going after idols that were merely false gods, this is what happened to them. "The Lord saw this and rejected them because he was angered by His sons and daughters. 'I will hide My face from them,' He said, 'and see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful.'" (Deut 32:20, NIV).

Blameless Job once asked, "Have I covered my transgressions like Adam, by hiding my iniquity in my bosom?" (Job 31:33). Although Adam hid his iniquity from God, Job did not. He had the wisdom to know that "He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion." (Pro 28:13)

Nothing is Hidden from God
Why should we try to hide from God what He already knows? The Scriptures teach us that nothing in all creation is hidden from God, so we cannot keep secrets from God. The apostle wrote, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." (Heb 4:13, NIV).

Also the Lord said, "For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity concealed from My eyes." (Jer 16:17).

Likewise, Solomon wrote: "For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths." (Pr 5:21 NIV).

For more on this topic, see All Our Deeds Are Known to the Lord.

Hiding from the Wrath of God
Those who do not fear the Lord and continue on in their sins will regret it deeply one day. But then it will be too late, because it will be the time for God's wrath to be poured out on them. Then they will try to hide themselves from His wrath.

"Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?'” (Rev 6:15-17, NIV).

Putting it All Together
As we have seen from Scripture, since the time of Adam's sin, there has been a real-life hide and seek with God going on, which all of us are involved in, one way or another.  Either you are hiding from God, covering up your sin, or you are diligently seeking the Lord while He may be found. I hope you are among the latter who seek the Lord, because there are many wonderful promises of reward from God for those who do so. But there are only dire warnings and woes for those who refuse to seek the Lord and conceal their sins.

If you think it's an exercise in futility to seek the Lord, you are badly mistaken. It's quite the opposite. It's actually a very profitable undertaking. On the other hand, it is a waste of time to hide from God, since nothing is hidden from His sight.

If you are already a Christian, and you do not think that you are hiding anything from God, let me encourage you to pray and ask Him to reveal anything in your life that is hidden that must go. Then as He reveals anything to you, confess it, renounce it, and forsake it. Ask Him to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

I hope this has encouraged you to see the seriousness of this reality you are in, because it's not a game. The Lord is calling out to us all to seek Him. Don't delay another day. He wants you to reach out and find Him, even though He is not far from any one of us. In fact, even while He seems hidden from you, He is seeking to save the lost. Won't you seek Him while He may be found?

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright the Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Image copyright ATD Developer used according to Fair Use Act for commentary and educational purposes only.

Author's note: You are invited to read Why God Hides His Face, Seeking the Lord, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, The Cost of Discipleship, Strive to Enter the Kingdom of God, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Separation from the World, Life Transformation Groups, All Our Deeds Are Known to the Lord, and Ask for the Ancient Paths. You may access the Main Directory for this Seeking the Lord blog for more articles like this, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

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Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Seeking Glory from God

Thou Art Worthy by Charity Lacroix

Dear God-seekers,

From whom are you seeking praise and honor? Is it from men or from God? The Lord taught about this in a discourse with the Jews recorded in the fifth chapter of John's gospel. He said:

"I do not receive glory from men; but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?" (Joh 5:41-44)

To begin with, let's focus on two phrases. He said, "I do not receive glory from men," and "you receive glory from one another."  In order to correctly understand these statements, we need to define a coupe of key words first. In this passage, the Greek word for "glory" is "doxa" meaning "glory, honor, praise, or worship." So some translations use the word "praise". Moreover, the word "receive" is a bad translation on the part of most English translations, and the use of the word "accept" in the NASB is just as inadequate. The Greek word is "lambano" meaning "strive to obtain, reach after, take, lay hold of, get, get back." It is not a passive word.

Therefore, when Jesus said, "I do not receive glory from men" (Joh 5:41), He meant He did not strive to obtain or reach after honor from men. He also said, "But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges." (Joh 8:50). Even though He is worthy of glory, He still did not seek it for Himself, but the Father sought it. And Jesus sought to bring glory to the Father. He explained, "If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, 'He is our God'." (Joh 8:54)

One example of Jesus not seeking the honor of men was when they decided to make Him their king. "Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, 'This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.' So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone." (Joh 6:14-15). He withdrew to a solitary place, so that they could not accomplish what they wanted to do. He came to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mt 20:28), not to be made king on earth by men and die a natural death. He was already a King, but His kingdom was and still is from another world (Joh 18:36-37). His Kingdom is a secret kingdom. He first had to suffer and be rejected by men before He was glorified (Lk 9:22; 17:25; Mk 8:31).

However, He did accept it when it was appropriate, such as the time when the little children were praising Him. "As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, shouting: 'Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!' Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, 'Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.' But Jesus answered, 'I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!'" (Luk 19:37-40). He also accepted honor from His disciples. For He said, "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am." (Joh 13:13, NIV). For example, there was the occasion when Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." (Mat 16:16-17). So we see that Jesus did accept glory, honor, and praise from men, however, He did not strive to obtain it.

On the contrary, the Jews, especially the Pharisees, sought after and strove to obtain praise from one another. They enjoyed the praises of men. They loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God (Joh 12:43). The Greek word for "approval" in this verse is the same word "doxa" meaning glory. In fact the English Revised Version translates that verse to say, "For they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God." Jesus indicated some of the ways they sought glory, honor, praise, and approval from men, rather than that which comes from God, when He said, "They love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called 'Rabbi' by others." (Mt 23:7, NIV). They did not seek the glory that is from the only God (Joh 5:44). The word "seek" is "zeteo" meaning "seek, seek for, seek after, aim at, strive, after, desire, crave, demand something."

We must not seek to obtain, strive after, or try to get praise from men (1 Thes 2:6). "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full." (Mt 6:2, NIV). If you strive after honor from men, you have already received your reward in full, and there will be no reward in heaven for you. "We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts." (1 Thes 2:4b, NIV). "If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Gal 1:10b, NIV). Jesus told the Jews that did not receive Him (Joh 5:43) that their seeking of honor from men was a hindrance that was keeping them from believing in Him. He said, "How can you believe" when you do that? (Joh 5:44). You cannot be a servant of Christ and seek to gain honor from men or to be a man pleaser.

As with the Jewish religious leaders of Christ's day, titles are still one way that men today seek to obtain honor from men. In my article, Visitation of Jesus to Samuel Oghenetega, I reported that the Lord gave a warning to those answering to big titles. He said, "Preach the Truth or else you will be cast into the bottomless put. Tell those answering with big titles like Bishop, Archbishop, Most Reverend, Reverend, Right Reverend, I don’t know them by that. I know them by their name and their works." (see Matthew 23:8-10). Our "Senior Pastor" is the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Pe 5:4), as I wrote in my article, Our Senior Pastor. Nobody else truly deserves to be called by that title.

When people seek honor from men, it keeps them from obeying God. That's why Peter and John did not pay attention to the Jewish Sanhedrin council, when they ordered the apostles to stop preaching in the name of Jesus. Peter said, “We must obey God rather than men." (Ac 5:29).

On the other hand, King Herod is an example of a man pleaser. He "laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also." (Ac 12:1b-3a). Herod's desire for praise from men ultimately cost him his life. "On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, 'This is the voice of a god, not of a man.' Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died." (Ac 12:21-23, NIV). Governor Felix was another one like that. He left Paul imprisoned as a favor to the Jews (Ac 24:27). Governor Festus was the same way, wishing to do the Jews a favor (Ac 25:9). Governor Pilate was another example of a man pleaser, agreeing to have the Lord crucified to satisfy the crowd, even though he knew Jesus was innocent (Mk 15:15). There are plenty of examples of those who seek the praise of men, rather than the glory of God. But this must not be so in the Church.

We must make every effort to obtain glory from the only God. We must seek after and strive for honor from Him. "To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life." (Rom 2:7, NIV). We seek the glory not of ourselves, but of the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We seek to glorify God. We must do everything for the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31). And in the end He will glorify us in His presence. We will share in the glory of Christ, if we share in His sufferings now (Rom 8:17).

If anyone honors us or praises us, we need to deflect it to God and not accept it for ourselves. What do we have that we did not receive? (1 Cor 4:7). We have no reason to be proud or take any credit, since all that we have comes from Him. Any gifts, talents, or abilities we have all come from His hand. Every good and perfect gift comes from above, flowing down from the Father of the heavenly lights (James 1:17). We can do nothing apart from Jesus (Joh 15:5). Anything good you see in me is Jesus, and all the mistakes are mine. We say, "Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness." (Ps 115:1). But, "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord." (1 Cor 1:31; 2 Cor 10:17). He alone deserves all the praise, all the glory, and all the honor. He alone is worthy. "Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen." (Php 4:20). "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." (Rom 11:36)

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, except where otherwise noted. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. The "Thou Art Worthy" illustration is by my daughter, Charity Lacroix. You may find more of her lovely artwork at A Brush with Life.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like For the Glory of God Alone, The Light and the Glory, Whatever You Do, Do All Like This, Pleasing the Lord, Success in God's Eyes, Having a Servant's Heart, Holy Living in a Perverted World, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, Seeing Jesus, Loving Him, Character and Glory, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, One Thing, Our Senior Pastor, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, Aim for Perfection, and The Wardrobe of the Saints. I highly recommend reading Visitation of Jesus to Samuel Oghenetega, Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies and Holy Fire Baptism. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Whom Are You Seeking?

I’d like to ask you a question that Jesus often asked.  Whom are you seeking?

In the garden of Gethsemane, when Judas arrived with the Roman cohort and the commander, and the Jewish officers to arrest Him, Jesus asked, “Whom are you seeking?” (Greek, τίνα ζητεiς or tina zeteis).  That’s found in Jn 18:6. They replied, “Jesus of Nazareth.”  And when He said, “I AM,” the Scripture says they all drew back and fell to the ground (Joh 18:6).  In the modern English versions, it may say, “I AM He,” but the Greek simply says “eimi” meaning “I AM.” It seems they were so stunned when He spoke this that it had the effect of knocking them to the ground, as if the power of God hit them.  In fact, it so immobilized them that He had to ask them a second time whom they were seeking, once again confirming His identity to them, and inviting them to come and arrest Him.

Likewise, when Mary was standing outside the empty tomb, Jesus asked the same question, “Whom are you seeking?” (Greek, τίνα ζητεiς or tina zeteis).  However, she did not recognize Him until He said her name, “Mary.”  Then she realized who He was.  She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher). (Joh 20:16)

This is a great question to ask: “Whom are you seeking?” (tina zeteis).  The infinitive form of the word zeteo means: “1) to seek in order to find; 1a) to seek a thing; 1b) to seek [in order to find out] by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to enquire into; 1c) to seek after, seek for, aim at, strive after; 2) to seek, i.e. require, demand; 2a) to crave, demand something from someone.” (Thayer).  So another way to phrase this may be “Whom are you seeking in order to find?”

Everyone is seeking someone. Some people are seeking a soul mate – that perfect person who will love them just the way they are.  Others are seeking a guru to guide them into deeper spirituality.  Others are seeking someone to give them money, or someone to provide them with a great paying job.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes to the Father, except by Him.  He is God’s Son, He is love, and loves you more than anyone in the universe ever could.  He is the one who will lead you into a deep spiritual relationship with the Father.  He will not only save your soul, but also provide for your temporal earthly needs as well.

Jesus asked Andrew and John, “Whom do you seek?” (tina zeteis).  "Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God!' The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, 'What do you seek?' They said to Him, 'Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?' He said to them, 'Come, and you will see.' So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour." (Joh 1:35-39).  The phrase "tina zeteis" can mean either "what do you seek" or "whom do you seek."  And obviously Andrew and John were seeking the Lord to be with Him wherever He was staying, since John the Baptist, whose disciples they were, had declared Jesus to be the Lamb of God.

Seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness
Jesus said, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Mat 6:33).  It's important to note that He said to do this "first" above all other things you need to seek.  Make His kingdom and His righteousness your chief aim, and you will have all you need.

He Who Seeks Finds
Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Mat 7:7-8).  He who seeks finds.

Seek the Lord Like Fine Pearls
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Mat 13:45-46)

God wants you to seek Him: “and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;” (Act 17:26-27)

Seek the Lord with selfless love for Him, not for selfish gain: “So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, ‘Rabbi, when did You get here?’ Jesus answered them and said, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.’” (Joh 6:24-27).  After these people ate the fish and the loaves He had multiplied, they sought Him for more of that natural, perishable food.  He said we must seek Him for eternal life and rewards.
 
Whatever it Takes, Seek Him
Zaccheus was seeking to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature.  (Luk 19:3).  Since he was short, he had to take extraordinary measures to seek the Lord.  Since he would not be able to see over the heads of the people in front of him, he climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus. He was willing to do whatever it took.  This kind of seeking always gets the Lord’s attention. Just as the Lord decided to eat at the house of Zaccheus, when He saw how the man sought Him, the Lord will commune with you when you seek Him in extraordinary ways.

You Must Seek the Glory of God
Jesus said to those who sought glory from men, "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?” (Joh 5:43-44).  He did not seek man’s glory but glory from God.

Paul said we must seek for glory and honor and immortality. “[God] will render to each person according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. (Rom 2:6-8)

Jesus sought the glory of God: "He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” (Joh 7:18)

Do Not Seek a Wife
These days there are ads for websites dedicated to women seeking men, men seeking women, even men seeking men and women seeking women.  People are looking for their dream partner.  Paul told the Corinthians who were single not to seek a spouse. “Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife.” (1Co 7:27).

However, he said that if you do marry, you have not sinned.  It's not a sin to marry someone of the opposite gender who is in Christ, but it should not be your aim to seek after a wife or husband. Seek the Lord.  Pray about it, and let the Lord take care of all your needs in His timing and His own way.

Seek the Things Above
Paul said to seek the things above that are in heaven.  “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” (Col 3:1)

Seek the Good of Many Others
Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor. (1Co 10:24)

Paul sought the salvation of many: “Just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.” (1Co 10:33)

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, (1Co 13:4-5)

Jesus is Seeking the Lost
While we need to seek the Lord, we need to realize that He is seeking to save the lost. "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luk 19:10).  If you are lost, the Lord is seeking you.  It’s time you begin seeking Him, too!  And if you are already saved, you should seek the lost to save them, by proclaiming the good news, as Jesus did.

The Father Seeks People to be His Worshipers
Just as Jesus is seeking the lost to bring them into the kingdom, this is the Father’s heart.  The Father seeks for people to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Jesus said, "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. (Joh 4:23)

The devil is Seeking Someone to Devour
Just as God is seeking true worshippers, even the devil is seeking people, except that his purpose in doing so is to destroy them.  He is seeking someone to devour.  “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1Pe 5:8).  The devil is seeking for victims with the same intensity that a hungry lion seeks for prey to devour. Knowing that the devil is doing that, our seeking the Lord, His kingdom, and the lost must be stronger and more intense than the devil’s seeking.

Putting it All Together
Seek His kingdom and His righteousness, because he who seeks finds. Seek the Lord as if you were searching for fine pearls.  God wants you to seek Him. Seek the Lord with selfless love for Him, not for selfish gain.  Have an attitude that whatever it takes, you’re going to seek Him, even in extraordinary ways.

You must seek the glory of God like Jesus did. Seek for glory and honor and immortality.  Do not seek a wife.  Don’t seek wealth.  Seek the things above.  Seek the good and the salvation of many others, not your own comfort and benefit.  Jesus is still seeking the lost as He did during His earthly ministry, and we should, too. 

The Father seeks people to be His worshipers, so that He might bless them.  On the other hand, the devil is seeking people, too, in order to destroy them. 

Whom are you seeking? And what are you seeking? Whatever it is, I can assure you it will never satisfy you.  I can tell say that with certainty as one who sought the things of this world before I knew Jesus. Only the Lord can satisfy the yearning in your heart for love and fulfillment. He is the great I AM. Only He can fill that void inside you.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. "Seek My Face" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.  

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading my articles   Taking Heaven by Force, Crying Out to God Loudly, Pressing on Toward the Goal, and Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God. You may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.