The One Whom God Seeks

We know that God wants us to seek Him, but what does it mean to be the kind of person God seeks?

The One Whom God Seeks

God is not silent on the subject of seeking Him. Seeking does not begin with us; it begins with God. God initiates His relationships with humans. God gives us the desire to know Him. He places in us the desire to seek Him. He draws us, invites us, and woos us into His presence. He simply waits for us to respond, to say “yes” to His advances. Throughout the Bible, God invites, commands, and pleads with His people to seek Him. There are wonderful promises associated with seeking God. He promises to be found; He promises to reveal Himself, and He promises to bless those who wholeheartedly seek Him. We know that God wants us to seek Him, but what does it mean to be the kind of person God seeks?

The Bible tells us that God seeks three kinds of people. He seeks the lost (Ezekiel 34:15, Luke 19:10), He seeks intercessors (Ezekiel 22:30), and He seeks worshipers (I Samuel 13:14, John 4:23). Therefore, as we consider what it means to seek God, let us also consider what it means to be the kind of people God seeks. He sought us when we were lost, and He will continue to seek us as we respond and say “yes” to His invitation to become worshipers and intercessors.

God seeks the lost (Luke 19:10)

Jesus said He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and told many parables to illustrate His point. As His disciples, we are called to participate with Him in that seeking process. One way we do this is to pray for those who don’t know Him yet personally. Ask the Lord to open their eyes and remove the veil from their hearts to believe. Ask Him to send laborers into the harvest fields. Ask Him to give you opportunities to share your faith with the unbelievers in your circle of influence.

God seeks worshipers (John 4:23)

The Bible tells us that God seeks those who worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23). Worship is a vital part of prayer. Prayer involves the pursuit of an intimate relationship with God and worship then springs forth as a natural response to that intimacy; through prayer and worship we actively embrace of God’s revelation of Himself to our human hearts. Although worship may be fulfilling, exciting, and enjoyable, it also involves a deliberate act of self-denial. Worship must be Christ-centered; we must focus on and acknowledge the supreme worth and wonder of God. True worship proceeds from God Himself as He reveals Himself to us. It takes a revelation of God to worship God. Only The Holy Spirit within us truly knows the Father and the Son, and He reveals God to us. In worship we yield to the Holy Spirit within us, who teaches us to say “yes” to Him and the revelation of who God to us. We do not worship to curry God’s favor or acceptance; rather, worship enables us to receive the favor and acceptance God freely bestows. He waits on high to show His people His passionate love for them; when we worship Him, we are empowered to receive all that He longs to give. Worship produces intimacy, which produces the life of God within us as He reveals Himself to us, in us, and through us. Let us ask the Lord to teach us to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

God seeks intercessors (Ezekiel 22: 30).

As we worship, we touch God’s heart. In turn, He reveals His longings, His plans, and His purposes to us. We then respond and allow His heart to flow through us on behalf of others. I once heard a prominent speaker say, “God’s heart always flows through the harvest.” When we love God, we also learn to love the lost, and our prayers of intercession will flow from a heart of connectedness with Him. If we will draw near to Him, if we will quiet our hearts, if we will listen, then we will discover that “He is not silent, and He is not whispering”* (Scott and Christine Dente). When we become intercessors, we become partners with God. We identify with Him and begin to care about what He cares about. We want to see His kingdom come on earth as in heaven, and we become vessels through whom God can release the purposes of His kingdom.   He calls us to worship, He calls us to intercede, and He calls the lost. Let us become the kind of people who seek God so that we can become the kind of people that God Himself seeks.

*Lyrics from “He is not Silent” (Out of the Grey, 1991, Scott and Christine Dente)

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What Does God Remember?

 “The memories we create with God are eternal.   These are the memories God will rehearse when we see Him face to face.“

How do you want to be remembered? Do you have old friends who want to continually remind you of the foolish mistakes and youthful blunders of your past? Perhaps you have relatives who like to rehearse the embarrassing moments of your life at every family function. Usually these rehearsals are meant to be no more than harmless, good-natured banter. Hopefully, such reminders help keep us humble and mindful of the grace God gives us to become new creatures in Christ. Sometimes, however, such reminders bring back painful memories we would rather forget.

The most important question about memories follows: what does God remember about you? Have you considered that the all-seeing, all-knowing, ever-present God of the universe does not remember your sin? When you repent of your sins, when you confess and turn back to God, the Bible tells us “He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). Additionally, it tells us, “as far as east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). Furthermore, once you repent, God chooses to forget your sin: “I will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12).

Therefore, when you know God forgives and forgets your sin, you can draw near to Him with great confidence and the assurance of His gracious acceptance and approval. When you draw near to God, if the Holy Spirit reminds you of something painful or sinful in your past, obey His prompt and confess any sin so that He can cleanse and heal you of it. He wants you to be free from guilt and shame, and you can be sure the Father will never bring up the embarrassing moments of your past at the next family gathering.

So what does God remember? God remembers those who draw near to Him. Do you realize God remembers all your prayers? Even when you’ve forgotten, He has not. God remembers those who sit at His feet and listen intently to Him – like Mary of Bethany. He remembers those who pour out the oil of their devotion and sacrifice their time, affections, energy and resources for Him – like Mary of Bethany.   In fact, we see in the Bible that the Lord was so moved by Mary of Bethany’s devotion to Him, that He said: “wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done shall also be spoken of in memory of her” (Matthew 26:13).

The Father is equally sentimental about our devotion as well. Richard Foster says this:

It is easy for us to think that God is so majestic and so highly exalted that our adoration makes no difference to Him. Our God is not made of stone. His heart is the most sensitive and tender of all. No act goes unnoticed, no matter how insignificant or small. A cup of cold water is enough to put tears in the eyes of God. God celebrates our feeble expressions of gratitude.

When we pursue a relationship with God, we create memories of His faithfulness, His goodness, His presence, His power, and His affection in our lives. Likewise, we create memories in God’s heart as well of our faithfulness and devotion to Him. He sees and remembers every movement of our hearts toward Him. The memories we create with God are eternal.   These are the memories God will rehearse when we see Him face to face. These are the memories He will bring up when we are all gathered at His table.

How do you want to be remembered?

Richard Foster (1992). Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home. Nashville, TN: HarperOne.

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