“¹⁶You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” – Exodus 20:16 (ESV)

I have to admit that I am not “friends” with my neighbors. I am not chummy with them. In fact, I don’t even know them well at all. All of that being true, there is still no reason for me to speak untruths about them.

The ninth commandment above speaks directly to the speaking of truths about others. Whereas, yes, there is some degree where we are not to lie in court, God is more speaking to the lying about others in general. We should be speaking the truth at all times. We should not be treating others in a way that is contrary to the way God will be treating. We should not be lying in the presence of God, period.

Too often I think it is easy to speak of what we are not fully informed of in the interest of getting along with or being accepted by some group of individual. We find ourselves in the situations where those around us are spinning tales of others that may not be based in fact, and we are all to willing to go along with it in the interest of, well, our own interest. I know that I have been in groups where there have been untruths spoken and I have gone along with the conversation just so I would be accepted.

And then there were times where I stood up for what what unknown so as to be sure the story was straight and there were no “lies” being told. I may not have known all of the facts, or whether or not what was being said was true, and that was the basis for me to stand up. There was no reason for anyone to speak ill of someone without the facts. I will say that in those instances of standing up for or simply letting others know that we are to not judge based on that which we do not know, I felt good about the stance I took and know that God was smiling at my witness.

Too often it is easy to just go along with things. Whereas it may seem harmless, it is indeed not following along with the commandments of God. We are to be truthful in our witness and that witness may be simply to get the story straight that we do not know what we do not know and therefore are obligated to not speak ill of those that we do not know all of the information.

When you are out in the world, are you speaking ill of or witnessing the ill speak of others to remain part of the group? Are you willing to take a stand for those being spoken of? What if we were to speak the truth as our witness and allow the facts to be heard to glorify God?

“¹⁴The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.” – Proverbs 15:14 (ESV)

This passage in Proverbs is more about the wise and foolish as opposed to seeking it seems at first read. God always has a reason for His direction in our lives and this morning is no exception. The passage may not be directly related to seeking at first glance, but as you read and study, that is what I get. I really did not notice until I reached the above verse. It is here that I realized that in order to act on and embrace wisdom and knowledge I had to first have understanding.

How can that be, don’t you want knowledge to understand? Well, yes generally, but in this context I see that I need internal heartfelt understanding of what I am seeking before I am able to earnestly look for and find. I have to know in my heart of what I am seeking. I have to feel it to find it.

In my career I bring attention to the idea of seeking first to understand and being understood. I see now how that applies here. I have to be willing to and driving to understanding prior to and while I am seeking knowledge. It is important to remember that I am seeking and that seeking is earnest looking and without understanding the earnestness is not manifested in the looking. My heart will not be in it so to speak. I have to get my heart into the search for the search to continue until I find or am found.

God wants our heart. I want to be found and give Him my heart. It is up to me to understand this and drive myself to seek Him. I have to understand in my heart to keep me focused on the search for know of Him.

As you are in the world, what understandings do your have? Are you seeking to understand or understanding so you can seek? What if we seek first to understand and then to know and learn?

“⁶And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” – Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)

I continue to study the word “seek” and was brought to this passage in Hebrews titled By Faith. I have been in this passage before and see my notes here. Seeking as I have been reminded in my study is the earnest looking without ceasing. When I look at the concept of seeking here in Hebrews, I have to add faith to that earnest looking.

“¹Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” – Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)

I have verse 1 above underlined and with it I have the following written: “confident anticipation of something that will assuredly occur in the future, as certain as tomorrow’s sunrise”. I do not recall specifically where I received that bit of definition, but it does help me to link the two words, seek and faith, together. When seeking I am earnestly looking and with faith, I am confident I will find.

This brings me to the realization that without faith, seeking is difficult to achieve. I must anticipate the finding of what I am earnestly looking. In the case of my ultimate seeking of God, it is faith that leads me to the earnest looking for Him. As noted in the passage of Hebrews 11, there are many examples of faith and seeking where thanks to both, God was found and He found those that were seeking.

I have a desire to continuously find God. In order for me to succeed, I have to seek with faith that I will find Him. When I do, not only will I find Him, He will find me.

What is your approach to seeking? Are you faithful that you will ultimately find? What if we were to link faith with seeking, how much more would we find success in finding?

So, I have decided to follow Christ. I am saved and will have my reward in heaven. Why then am I still seeking things of this world?

“¹If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” – Colossians 3:1 (ESV)

Paul is writing to the church in Colossae. They are new Christians and are in need of some encouragement and direction. In chapter 3:1-17 we find him writing about the new self, that self coming after and from salvation. Paul writes to give the direction to seek things that are not of this world we live in today. We should be seeking our reward in heaven.

I know that even today I sit here wondering when I will get some acknowledgment, recognition, and appreciation in job. I find that I am currently having to provide my own as those above me seem to be too concerned with being the one with the answers as opposed to providing answers and support for those that need it. And whereas I know that it is my reward in heaven that is the most important, I am still human and want to be treated with some sort of appreciation, and more importantly be acknowledged for the work I am doing.

I have to put all of this world behind me and continue to strive to please and glorify God and seek my reward that comes from Him. I answer ultimately to Him and should be leaning on Him for direction, acknowledgment, recognition, and appreciation. I have to remember that I may not see those instantly and frankly may not see them at all, but I have already experienced the saving grace of God and now I must seek to honor my commitment to Him.

I have to live in this world, but I don’t have to be of this world. My world is in heaven and therefor I have to remember to seek out things of heaven and not the things of this world.

Where are you looking for your acknowledgment, recognition, and appreciation? Are you getting it here in this world and satisfied with that? What if you were to seek the things from above with God and lived accordingly?

I want more than what I have and where I am. I want to be great and be revered and not have to be concerned with anything. This is a common thought and theme I am sure in the world today. It is natural to have these feelings of want and desire. The issue with it is that it will get in the way of what is most important, our relationship with God.

This morning I am reading and studying in 1 Corinthians where Paul is writing about being unmarried and/or widowed. He is referring to the pressure that comes with each of the statuses and how that pressure impacts us and our relationship with God.

“²⁷Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife.” – 1 Corinthians 7:27 (ESV)

There is of course a lot more to the passage and I do not want to confuse anyone in thinking that I am cherry picking a verse to point out what I wish to say. What I see in this verse and the whole passage (vv.25-40) is that I am to be content in where I am in my relationships. I am not to be worried with where I am going or where I am from. I am to be in the moment with Christ and Christ alone. I should not be seeking something that will only cause me to be concerned with anything other than the LORD.

Now, as Paul mentions in the passage, there is nothing wrong with marriage, and if that is where your heart is, then it should be. What he is cautioning is the seeking out of marriage to establish some lifestyle or satisfy some want or need. There should be a sense of obligation to God first and all else lower down the priority list. Our contentment with our relationships outside of that with God should be paramount. We should seek God and not the satisfaction of our worldly desires.

Where are you in your relationships here in this world? Are you more concerned with those than with your relationship with God? What if we were simply to seek contentment in our worldly position and devote to God?

We all have the same opportunity to find salvation. Yes all of us regardless of where we come from, our circumstances, our backgrounds, our experiences, or any other thing that might be considered divisive. Salvation is not just available for the chosen few.

“²⁰Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, ‘I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.’ ²¹But of Israel he says, ‘All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.’” – Romans 10:20-21 (ESV)

The above verses are notable in the declaration that all who seek shall find. The gentiles are referred to in verse 20 and are found by God when they were seeking Him. They were not the chosen nation of God, that was those referenced in verse 21, Israel. The Gentiles heard the gospel and believed. They were given the opportunity and they seized it knowing good when it was presented to them. Israel had a feeling of entitlement and rebelled against God all the way. Whereas they were disobedient, God still held His arms open wide to receive them when they came.

This is the same today. We are all given opportunity to come to God and be saved. Those that are furthest away are those that come when they hear. Those of us that “know” are those that disobey. All though are accepted and given the same opportunity when we are seeking out God and His glory.

As a follower of Christ, there is a sense of entitlement I feel each day. I make it to church on Sundays and somehow believe that I am more deserving of God’s love. I don’t have to worry about seeking Him out as I have already found Him (a long time ago) and He will always be with me regardless of my seeking of Him. It is the other people that “need” to seek Him out to be saved.

The reality is that we are all in the position to seek God out. Yes as someone that has received salvation already, my need of salvation has been met, but my need for grace is still there. I must seek Him out each day to continue doing His will. For those that have not found Him, there is a seeking for the immediate need of salvation and then the continue need of grace. We are all in need to seeking Him out and when we do, we will be found and will find God and the grace He has for us.

What does your search for God look like each day? Are you seeking Him always? What if we all, regardless of anything, were to seek Him out for the salvation and grace God has for us?

“¹⁰For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” – Luke 19:10 (ESV)

What a simple verse that is so powerful. Jesus is looking for each one of us. But not just looking haphazardly, He is seeking us earnestly. Take the story of Zacchaeus the chief tax collector (Luke 19:1-10). A man earnestly seeking Jesus as demonstrated by his willingness to climb a tree to be able to see Him. Zacchaeus was not going to let his stature or anything stand in his way of seeing Jesus. And Jesus, seeking out to save the lost, found Zacchaeus and called him by name to join Him and offer His salvation personally.

This is such a great illustration that Jesus is truly seeking, seeing, and saving for all of us. When we are seeking Him, we will find that He was seeking us at the same time. We will find each other and as a result, we will be saved and Jesus will be glorified.

I have been and will always be a sinner. I will continue to sin and as such will always and forever be seeking forgiveness as I repent. Jesus has and will forgive me for I have been found and am not lost any longer. He was seeking me and when I was seeking Him we found each other and at that moment I was saved.

When in the world, what seeking are you doing to find Jesus? Are you willing to climb some trees to find Him and allow Him to find you? What if we were to embrace our lost status and allow Jesus to find us and save us?

Seeking is that continued earnest looking. The search is not complete until that which searching for is found. It is the not giving up.

“⁷Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7 (ESV)

As I have mentioned a number of times, I am a corporate training professional and one of the concepts that I lean on in my training classes is that we have to ask if you want to get an answer. I may have the resources that I need to do the job or task, but I also may not be able to find the answer on my own. In those instances I must ask for the answer in the moment and also be sure to ask where the answer is found to know for next time, in case there is a change. In sales, I may give the best presentation but I also must ask for the sale in order to get it.

In our search for God, it is up to us to continue the search until found. There are times when we do not know where else to look and in those instances it is our responsibility to ask others and knock on doors to gather more information to find Him.

We will find God when we truly search. But the search is not over once we initially find Him. We must continue the search as God will continue to have more tasks for us in the world. In order to know what those tasks are, we have to ask and knock for Him to open the doors. And then when God gives us the task, we must continue asking and knocking and seeking the path to completing the task. And then the cycle begins again. We are here for His glory and we to not give up seeking Him and His glory.

When you are searching for God, are you asking and knocking once you seem to reach the end? Are you determined to find Him or the next task He has for you? What if we didn’t give up and continued our search for Him and His glory?

I am not sure that I have really ever sat down to think about how I prioritize what it is that I seek. I know that I do prioritize other things, such as the to-do list, project completion, and personal time, but not sure about what I am seeking.

“³³But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

Jesus says here to place God and His kingdom at the forefront of all that I do. I am to earnestly look to Him for guidance and look to provide Him with glory. I am to do all and seek all for and of God first and foremost in all that I am engaged. So at the top of my priority list should always be “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness”.

Now how do I apply that to my life and actions. Well, I should first open each day with Him. That is in prayer and study of His word to connect with Him and be guided by Him for my actions and direction for the day. Prayer is our way of communicating with the Father and reflecting on just what it is that He has planned for me.

As I move into and throughout the day, I should be looking more closely at each of my tasks and actions to align them with just what it is that God has planned for me. Will I always know exactly what it all is and/or means, no. But what I will be more conscious of is doing all for and about the glory of God.

When my day rounds out toward the end, it is now the time to thank God for giving me the path he chose for me and asking for forgiveness where I may have missed the mark. And finally I should ask for continued direction the next day.

Throughout the day, there will be many tasks that keep me busy and moving. When I am able to take time and ensure that I am doing all I can to follow and glorify the Lord, I will have a much more effective and efficient day. I will have sought after that which is most important, “the kingdom of God and his righteousness”. I have prioritized Him and as noted in verse 33 above, “all these things will be added to you”, referring to the needs we have for survival in this world.

What is at the top of your priority list for seeking? Are you looking for those items that satisfy your needs? What if you were to prioritize seeking “first the kingdom of God and his righteousness”?

“¹⁶I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.” – Ezekiel 34:16 (ESV)

I am to be seeking for God. I am to earnestly be searching to find Him and devote myself to Him. As you can see in the verse above, God is earnestly searching to find me. Even when I have strayed from His immediate sight, He is looking to find and care for me. He is the great shepherd and we are His sheep, and He cares deeply for each one of us.

“¹²As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.” – Ezekiel 34:12 (ESV)

God is the great shepherd. He seeks us out and as noted in verse 16, to bring us back to safety and will fully care for us in our time of recovery from the difficult path we were on or situation we were in. God is that to protect us when weak and build us back up.

I have to take solace in the care and love of God as I wander around in this world. I have to know that where ever I may stray, God is seeking to find me and make sure that I am safe and secure. He makes sure that I have what I need and that my provisions are met. I have to continue doing his work and He will continue to provide.

When you are in the world, what are your thoughts about being cared for? Are you able to know and understand that God is seeking you out for your protection? What if you were to trust that He will be there when things are bleak to pick you up and carry you to safety, nurse you back to health, and offer you the ability to continue doing His work with the comfort of knowing that He will always seek you out?