“Those who seek me find me.”
Proverbs 8:17
What does
it mean to seek God? The Hebrew
language, in which the Old Testament was written, often painted “word pictures”
that are more descriptive than our English words. A meaning of the word “seek” paints a picture
of “treading frequently so as to make a path.”
I used to wonder what people meant
when they talked about “seeking God”. It was something I could not understand.
It sounded complicated; certainly not something I knew how to do.
When I learned the meaning of the
word “seek”, I remembered the path behind my grandfather’s house. In the back
of his yard there was a small wooded area. A clear path was visible from the
yard – the grass had been worn down to dirt and brush stopped its growth on
either side of the path. The path led to my grandfather’s brother’s house. It
was made by my grandfather and his brother and their families walking from one
house to the other day after day, year after year. Because they tread or walked
on the path regularly, grass and brush did not grow—the worn path was evidence
of decades of two families sharing their lives with each other.
As the two
families walked the path, their relationships were strengthened. The path was
proof that they were comfortable knocking on each other’s door to borrow a cup
of sugar or to share coffee together. In good times and bad, the more they were
a part of each other’s everyday lives, the more worn and clear the path became.
I wonder if
the neighbors Jesus described in Luke 11:5-9 had worn a path between their homes.
Jesus describes one pounding on the other’s door at midnight asking for bread
to feed visitors. At first the neighbor refuses, saying he is in bed, his
family with him. Finally, Jesus says the man will give in and give the bread,
because of his neighbor’s importunity – his shameless persistence.
Seeking God is something we give
our lives to. We don’t seek His blessings or information about Him, but we seek
Him—as a person, because we desire His company, His companionship. God desires
an everyday relationship with us. A comfortable relationship where we feel free
to talk to Him whenever we please. A relationship where God feels welcome to
speak to us and knows that we will listen when He does. A relationship closer
and more intimate than that of my grandfather and his brother. Certainly closer
than the two neighbors of Luke 11.
When I
thought about the path behind my grandfather’s house, I realized that I do
indeed seek Him – every time I pray, meditate on His word, come before Him in
worship. Seeking doesn’t require a
special formula, just persistence. Some days I feel closer to Him than others,
but as I keep coming to Him, in whatever way I know, in good times and in bad, I
am treading that path—I am seeking Him! It is simple! Every prayer I pray and
every grateful thought I have of Him presses the brush down a little more. The
way seems clearer, the path easier to find. As my grandfather walked the path,
he could see a welcoming light in his brother’s window. As I tread the path of
seeking Him, I know that God will receive and welcome me. I know that if I seek
Him I will find Him!
“Ask and it shall
be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
Luke 11:9
