Seeking God Is Not A Glamorous Endeavor

Have you ever needed something so badly that you went out in the middle of the night to get it, dressed like you would never dress to go out? Maybe it was for medicine or some other necessity that couldn't wait until morning. At the time, you knew you were unacceptable by your own standards. BUT IT DIDN'T MATTER. You hoped no one you knew would see you in that condition. But if they did, IT WOULDN'T MATTER. 

Sometimes we see people coming to God that way. Maybe you have been in this place. The worship music had your name all over it. You found your needs deeply ingrained in the prayer. Every testimony slapped you in the face. The special song was especially for you. Then when the preacher started his sermon you knew you were in trouble. Every sentence was aimed at you. That service was the last place you wanted to be, but the only place you could be. By the time the first verse of the altar song was sung, you were hitting the altar. Eyes puffy, nose running, face flushed, blurry vision and all. BUT IT DIDN’T MATTER. You hoped the cleaning lady had re-stocked the tissues, which were going to be nearly useless. (Apparently the inventor of tissues never came under Godly conviction. If he had, he would have made them out of shop rags.) You knew every kid and adult in the sanctuary/tabernacle was looking at you, wondering what awful sin you had committed, and whether you would make it through the night. BUT IT DIDN'T MATTER. 

What mattered is that you were going to find God at that altar. It may have been in your car parked at the beach, or at an overlook on a hillside. Maybe it was on the darkest night of your life as you rolled crying in your yard under the moon. But you found God. There are promises regarding that moment. 

From early in Scripture we find that God promises to be near to those who seek Him. This seeking isn’t a casual, get dressed up, put your make-up on, go out to the mall on a beautiful day, and look for that perfect pair of shoes you may or may not need. It is a serious emergency journey. Seeking is not just browsing. Moses once prophesied over the children of Israel that they would eventually backslide from their position of favor with God, and become slaves to other nations because of their sins. "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." (Deuteronomy 4:29) Notice how he emphasizes the importance of diligence in their 'God-seeking'. This is not a casual 'scan', as if they are looking for the popcorn they dropped in the dark theater. No. This is more like the way someone would search for that life-saving inhaler for their child who is having an attack. A passer-by would think they were crazy. BUT IT WOULDN'T MATTER. 

Seeking God is an act of faith, however feeble the act may appear at times. The writer of Hebrews states, "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."(11:6)

So if you find yourself in a place where you are away from God. Just seek Him out. He wants to be sought after. More importantly, He wants to be found. He knows you are a mess. BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER. What really matters is that you seek Him with your whole heart.

Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry.

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