Yesterday morning I sent Dave on a treasure hunt.
Dave and I have been gone for several days and on our first day we stopped at the store to buy a few things I needed for Kristine’s birthday cupcakes. While there I also bought some of our favorite coffee and some coffee filters.
I realized yesterday that we didn’t have either of those items when we unpacked the truck on Tuesday afternoon. Anyone who knows me well knows that coffee is an absolute essential to my morning existence. It’s better than gold!
Dave had to go out and search through the truck and the big tool box before he came back with the buried treasure I sent him for. This is a silly example but it makes the point.
Have you ever lost something valuable? Maybe it was a piece of jewelry, a credit card or maybe something more personal like a relationship; did you search and work hard until you “found” it again?
Luke, chapter 15, talks about three things that were lost – a sheep, a coin and a son. The shepherd, the woman and the father searched diligently until all was recovered.
Jesus was teaching in the Sermon on the Mount and he said:
“Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. 8 Yes, whoever continues to ask will receive. Whoever continues to look will find. And whoever continues to knock will have the door opened for them.” Matthew 7:7-8 ERV
Jesus was telling us to be diligent in our asking, in our seeking and in our knocking (pursuing). Where did He learn this persistence?
He saw it in His Father.
God, the Father, has been asking man for 1000+ years to allow Him to be their God, to lead and direct. Jesus had watched as the Father had searched for His people after they had gone off to follow other gods and He loving brought them back.
He had followed the Father’s example to stand at the door and knock, waiting for it to open so He could have fellowship with the man He had created. Do you know that the Father is doing the same with us?
Jesus was doing more than giving us an opportunity to ask, seek and knock; He was reminding us that our relationship with the Father is one that the Father will continue to pursue – He won’t let go.
” Suppose a woman has ten silver coins, but she loses one of them. She will take a light and clean the house. She will look carefully for the coin until she finds it. 9 And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I have found the coin that I lost!’ 10 In the same way, it’s a happy time for the angels of God when one sinner decides to change.” Luke 15:8-10 ERV
Follow the Father’s example. We need to pursue Him and have daily fellowship with Him. Let’s not allow our relationship to get lost in the activities of the day.
“ I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. ” Jeremiah 29:11-13 ERV
Search for Him and then rejoice because you will find that He is there waiting for you.
Love those verses in Jeremiah.