SEEK!!!

       Children adore playing Hide and Seek. Our 19 month old, Ridley has loved playing since he could first walk.  He hides behind my back or a chair, and I’ll say, “Where’s Rildey?  He was just here a minute ago.  Ridley?  Ridley?”  Soon he peeks his precious face out from his hiding spot with the sweetest smile and giggle, and then quickly returns to play the game all over again.  It melts my heart.

       Ridley also loves seeking out new adventures.  As a young child everything is brand new.  He is amazed by his grandpa’s lawn mower and searching the refrigerator to pull out all the treasures he can find.  His excitement for the world brings about a childlike view of the world for me.  Things are magical with Rildey around.

       There are many wonderful verses in the Bible that talk about the necessity of seeking after God.  In fact, there are over 83 of them!  When God mentions something one time in his Word we should listen, but the more he says it, the more we should realize its importance.  Check out this link to 83 verses about seeking God!   

       Webster defines the word seek as 1.  to search for (someone or something) 2.  to try to find (someone or something) 3.  to ask for (help, advice, etc.) 4.  to try to get or achieve (something).  According to Got Questions.org (one of my favorite web sites), the Bible was first translated from Hebrew into Greek in the third century B.C by 70 Jewish scholars. Here is a link to an article about the original transcripts of the Bible.  As you may know, one English word can have a variety of Greek translations.  It is interesting to look up specific verses with the word seek and find the meaning in each text.  This link gives Greek translations of the word seek in several verses.  Just a few Greek translations of seek are to strive after, desire, covet earnestly, to require, demand, or to reach out.  One translation that caught my eye was to “seek by thinking”.  This brought to mind two times I sought after answers from the Lord and he miraculously responded.

       Several years ago I was participating in a Bible study with a group of friends from work.  My grandpa had recently passed away, and I was thinking a lot about death and heaven.  In one of our discussions soul sleep was mentioned.  The man leading the study said he believed in soul sleep (the idea that upon death a person is in a state of sleep, and will not awaken until the Resurrection of the Dead mentioned in the Bible).  He gave several reasons he believed it to be true.  Honestly, I didn’t hear many of them, because I was so disturbed by the idea that my Grandpa may not be in heaven at that very moment. 

       This thought troubled me for days.  I was lying awake one night pondering it, when it hit me, seek the truth from God!  I simply prayed, “God, if soul sleep is really what happens to us when we die, I know you set it up that way for a reason, but if it is not, Lord, I want to know the truth.  Please help me know the truth, somehow.”  And off to sleep I went. 

       The next thing I knew I was awakened out of a sound sleep.  It was morning and the sun was shining through my bedroom window.   I instantly had a picture in my mind of Jesus on the cross between the two thieves.  And the words that came into my mind were, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Jesus said, today, not someday…after the Resurrection of the Dead, but today.  I was instantly comforted and quickly whispered, “Thank you God for answering me so quickly.”

       Another similar situation happened about six months ago.  I have been learning all I can about end times prophecy.  I am so very interested in it as I look around at this scary world and ponder where we are headed.  I take great comfort in the Rapture and the idea that Jesus will rescue his people before things get too out of hand. 

       End times events are debated, because there are different interpretations of the mysterious passages that give us information about future events.  But they have been fervently studied and the evangelical schools of thought have many similarities and minor differences for the most part.  Save one group called preterists.  Rather than believing the book of Revelation includes events that will happen in the future, preterisits believe that most of the book of Revelation took place in 70 AD.  At first it didn’t bother me, because I know many people hold strange views, but then I heard that two people I respected as Bible teachers held the view, Hank Hanegraaff and RC Sproul.  I was devastated, mostly because I put so much hope into end times and the Rapture.  It is truly a comfort to me, and now I was faced with the idea that the Blessed Hope may not be true.

       I had grown in my walk since the situation with soul sleep, thanks to the Holy Spirit.  I knew if I sought after the truth, I would eventually get an answer from the Lord.  I told God the whole situation (he already knew, but that’s what prayer is all about).  I told him the comfort I get from the Rapture and the book of Revelation.  I told him that I do not want to believe something that is not Biblical, and that I wanted to know the truth.  “Help me, Lord!”  And then I let it go.

       A week later, I was scrolling through an app I love called One Place.  It includes recent sermons and radio shows from Christian teachers (Check it out!).  I just happened to scroll through a series by RC Sproul all about the book of Revelation!  This was the answer!  I would listen to his teaching and compare it to what I have learned in the past, and I would see where the Holy Spirit led me.  Within two days I had listened to all of the lessons, and I finished without a doubt still believing in the Rapture of the Church and the literal interpretation of the book of Revelation.   

       I want to make a few things clear…First, this didn’t happen without lots of study, thought and prayer.  It didn’t happen because of a “gut feeling” I had, but because of many pieces of evidence I could point to in the Bible.  It wasn’t in an instant, but after seeking the truth.  I have tested God’s promise in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Thanks be to God!

       Second, God answered me really quickly in both of these situations, but I have had countless times where he still hasn’t answered.  But, because of my experiences in the past, I know he will someday, even if I have to wait until I see him face to face.

       In Matthew 7:7 Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”  This “seeking” he commands us to do, is for our own good.  He isn’t there to be a genie in a bottle giving us our every wish.  And the Bible says he knows the words of our mouths before we speak them (Psalm 139:4), so we know he doesn’t need us to talk to him.  We need it to continually grow in our relationship with him.  He wants us to know his love for us, and his power.  He wants to show us supernaturally how much he cares for us.  And he chooses to do this when we by faith believe and seek him!  Our spiritual growth is in our own hands!

       Finally, as I said God is not a genie in a bottle.  We are permitted to ask for everything we want and need. God wants to hear our requests, but we must understand he will answer no, if it is what is best for us.  He is our Heavenly Father, and just like I know Ridley shouldn’t play with glass bowls in the kitchen (even though he wants to) our Father knows what is best for us.  So please do not get discouraged if your seeking doesn’t open a door right away.   In time you will know why.  Just have faith!

       Last, but not least I have a challenge for all of you!  We all have doubts from time to time.  We all have things in the Bible that do not make sense to us, or we struggle to believe.  We all have prayers that were not answered or life tragedies we have failed to find a blessing in.  Today, take it to God.  Pour your heart out to him.  Ask him to give you eyes to see, and ears to hear, and a mind to understand the truth.  Really mean it, with all your heart.  And then seek!  Watch how God grows your faith and your relationship with him as he reveals truth.  It is such an exciting journey, with God in the lead. 

       Ridley never tires of seeking when there is something he really wants.  He will not give up, and sometimes throws a tantrum in the mean time.  When I’m at home with him and Dustin is at work, Ridley will run to the door and windows several times a day seeking after his daddy.  I’ll remind him Daddy is at work, and that will satisfy him for a time.  But in the end, he continues to seek until Daddy walks through the back door.  It makes Dustin feel good to know his son misses him throughout the day.  We must all be like Ridley, and continue to seek our Father. We must do it to grow in our spiritual walk, but more importantly because it pleases our Father in Heaven!

Note:  If you don’t know much about the Rapture or End Times prophecy, I can highly recommend many pod casts, books, and web sites.  Please e-mail me or post a comment and I will be happy to pass them along.