By Grace Through Faith

Seek – attempt to find; desire to obtain or achieve.

Oxford English Dictionary

Remember the game, “Hide and Seek”? One person, the seeker, counts while the others go and hide. Once the others hide, the seeker goes around trying to find the others throughout the house. There are two main goals depending on what role you take on. The goal for the seeker is to find the ones hiding, and the goal for the person hiding is to not be found.

The act of hiding and seeking is actually first seen in the Bible in Genesis with God, Adam, and Eve:

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Genesis 3:8-11 ESV

We see here that when Adam and Eve first heard God after they ate from the tree, their immediate reaction was to hide from God. Similar to the game “hide and seek”, they did not want to be found.

They did not want God to find them and learn that they disobeyed Him. They were ashamed. However, God calls out to them, asking where they are. He was seeking after them, wanting to find them.

God is the Creator, and we are His creatures. The creatures cannot hide from the Creator. He sees all. He knows us more than we truly knows ourselves. He fully knows us and sees us for who are truly are. He knows what we need and provides to our needs. So if our role is not to hide from God, then we instead seek Him and His kingdom.

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. – Matthew 6:31-33 ESV

I think it is interesting in Matthew 6, there is so much mentioned about anxiety, worry, and fear. Worrying that we won’t be taken care of. Fear that we do not have all we need. Anxiety that we are not in control of our circumstances. Yet, Jesus tells us our priority is to seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteouness. Not to seek after all the things of the world, but instead to seek the kingdom.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. – Colossians 3:1-3 ESV

Jesus wants us to pursue Him and seek after Him. He wants us to desire Him more than anything this world could ever give us. Not that our desires are bad, and we shouldn’t pursue our careers, relationships, and health. Those are all great things to work on. But God asks us to seek Him first before fretting over the things of this world. He knows what we need, and He will provide more than enough for us when we seek Him and His kingdom first each day.

But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. – Deuteronomy 4:29 ESV

Everything on this earth is temporary. Our circumstances, our friendships, our finances, our job positions, and our environments can all change in a day. But, our relationship with the Lord is everlasting, and should be our top priority on this earth. We are to love Him and love others. Just like in the game of hide and seek, I want to seek God and for my focus to be centered on seeking Him and His kingdom more and more throughout my days on this earth.

One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. – Psalms 27:4 ESV