A few years ago my wife and I were visiting San Antonio. One night we were walking down the River Walk looking at shops when we spotted a young girl around 5 years old. She was standing there crying as people walked by. We approached her and asked if she was lost. She said she was as we tried to calm her down. My wife told me to stand on something so I could watch the crowd. She knew there would be some desperate parents soon. Sure enough I saw them frantically looking through the crowd. I motioned at them and the fear turned into relief as they got to us and found their daughter. They were desperately seeking her once they realized she had gotten separated from them.
There’s a Greek word used in the New Testament for the kind of seeking those parents were doing. It’s Zeteo. This word was used when Jesus’ parents lost Him at 12 years old and had to travel back to Jerusalem to find Him (Luke 2:45). When Jesus told the story of the lost sheep and the shepherd left the 99, He used this word to describe the shepherd looking for his sheep ((Matthew 18:12). This word was used for Judas as he sought an opportunity to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:16). He was looking for the right opportunity to have Jesus handed over to be crucified. The word we have in English just says to seek, but the word used means you stop everything and make it your number one priority because you’re desperate.
Jesus used this same word in Matthew 7:7-8 when He said, “Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds, and to him who keeps on knocking, it will be opened” (AMP). I don’t know what you’re seeking today, a healing, a job, a touch from God. Whatever it might be, desperately keep on asking God for it. Desperately seek Him for your answer like nothing else matters, and desperately knock on Heaven’s door until you receive your answer, find what you’re asking God for and the door of Heaven opens up to grant your request. Desperately seek God for it the way a parent would for their lost child. Don’t stop until you have what you need.
Photo by iMattSmart on Unsplash
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 