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Seek & Ye Shall Find
Matthew 7:7
Living in the 1990's people are feeling more pressure than ever to conform to
the things of this world. Satan launches attacks from every front in his
constant battle
against Christ. Amidst constant moral decay, the beliefs of humanism, political
correctness, and others rain in without relent. Under such pressure, some give
in to the things of this present age. They will have their reward. Jesus said in
Matthew 6:21, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
In Matthew 7:7, Jesus said "...Seek and You Shall Find; Knock and it will be
opened to you." What should we be seeking? According to what Jesus said in
Matthew 6:33, we should be striving for the kingdom of God and His
righteousness. Those who turn all of their attention to worldly things will have
their reward while upon the earth. Christ stressed that by following after Him
and His righteousness, we would be investing in an eternal reward in Heaven.
There are many blessings that Christians have because they put God first in
their lives. What do we find by seeking?
The first thing we can find is the blessing of God in prayer. Christians need to
have an active prayer life. This is repeated throughout the Scriptures.
Relationships
are not formed without communication. Sadly, however, many try to have
"one-sided" relationships with God. They never take time to pray. Our Lord had a
healthy prayer life. From the evidence of the gospels, he made time to pray. It
was a part of His day. Should we not do the same? Prayer will bring us closer to
the Lord. Paul told the Thessalonians to "pray without ceasing" in 1 Thess.
5:17. He meant that we should always be in a "prayer mode." To pray without
ceasing, meant to never quit being praying disciples. To cease prayer, will
severely hamper our relationship with the Lord. One can not seek after
righteousness as the Lord instructed without prayer.
In seeking after righteousness a Christian can find the approval of God in
obedience. Revelation 22:14 says, "Blessed are those who do His commandments,
that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the
gates into the city." One cannot be righteous and not obey the commandments of
the Lord. We can not be a friend of the world. There are those who try their
best to look like they are part of the world, but not in it. This is an example
of having divided affections. The Lord want us to be obedient to His word.
Looking back at the world, suggests that we are unfit for the kingdom of the
Lord. (Luke 9:62) If we are willing to submit to Him, then we will have hope of
eternal life. But, we must be obedient to His will and follow all of His
commandments.
The Lord will help us through our temptations when we are diligently following
Him. Please take time to read Hebrews 2:18. In the race of Christianity, there
are many detours that we can take if we are not careful. If priorities are not
in order, then before we realize it, we could be headed down a path of
destruction. One that is doing his best to serve God, will recognize the correct
path to take to lead himself out of temptation. God loves us, and does not want
to see us overcome by the devil. This is why he provided the way of escape that
he talked about in 1 Cor. 10:13. It is imperative that we follow the Lord. Are
you?
Finally, 1 Peter 3:12 tells us that the Lord is against those who do evil. Let
us be striving to be righteous. If we are not righteous, then the Lord will be
against us. Who wants the Lord against them? Do we realize the magnitude of
this? Sadly, many times we do not. What are you seeking? If you are only
concerned with the things of this present age, then ultimately, you will be
destroyed. There are blessings to following after Christ. Why not start
following Him today?
By J. Matthew Allen
From Expository Files 3.3; March 1996
