Asking, Seeking, Knocking? (Part II of II)
By Chris Voss
We humans have lost contact with God, but God has not lost contact with us. He knows everything about us.
Jeremiah 23:24, “Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the Lord, “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord.
God is always near. He is next to the bed of the sick. He is in the cell of the lonely prisoner. He is as accessible to us when we are riding high in life as He is when we hit rock bottom. Whatever our status, whatever our condition, we need only to reach out for the God of all creation in repentance. Are you asking, seeking, and knocking to know and understand God? Without the Holy Spirit, a person feels incomplete. He or she feels an inner emptiness, a longing for personal and spiritual fulfillment. We all need a lasting relationship with our Creator, our Redeemer, and our Friend so our lives will be rewarding, complete and, most importantly, pleasing to God.
Outside of Christ, people have tried to fill the void created by the absence of the Holy Spirit by seeking inferior substitutes; among them sensual pleasures, material possessions, fame, worldly pursuits. It seems to me every one is asking, seeking, and knocking — some after God, most with their own selfish needs in mind.
C.S. Lewis said, “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling around with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us. We are like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because the child cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” (“The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses,” page 2).
Instead of the “mud pies” with which we seek to satisfy our inner longings, God offers us infinite love, lasting joy, and the salvation of our immortal souls. Why settle for “mud pies” when we don’t have to? Are you sincerely asking, seeking, and knocking after God or after your own worldly fleshly pursuits?
Matthew 13:44, (Jesus speaking), “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”
Jesus was not teaching that to become a Christian one must sell all earthly possessions. The point of the parable is that the discovery of the kingdom of God gives more joy than anything else in the world. But you have to ask, seek, and knock. This holy joy doesn’t just jump into your lap as you sit there doing nothing. You must sincerely search for God.
We come to know God in two ways, both essential. One is to become familiar with the Bible, which describes God’s actions, desires, and emotions. The other is to learn to trust the Lord — in good times and, especially, in bad times.
All of this takes time, much like finding an inexhaustible gold mine. It may take a whole lifetime extracting the riches of this Biblical mine but the more you mine (or study) the Bible, the more pure and abundant is its spiritual yield. And your trust in the Lord will grow and grow.
But you must work at it. You must ask, and seek and knock. Open your Bible, read it, study it, let it transform your life and fortify your faith.
Are you sincerely asking, seeking, and knocking to know the almighty God by studying His Holy Word and trusting Him with your very life and soul? Are you?
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Chris Voss is a pastor at First Christian Church, 317 S. Main, Donna.