Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Do You Believe That....

God rewards those that seek Him?

And 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

You have looked up into the heavens and down into the subatomic abyss. The Divine vision thunders with dread. This power to make, this power to order, this power to destroy is an Almighty, it is God. He is there and known. He is soul crushing and terrifying. But thankfully "the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" There, subtly inserting itself into this vision of almighty power is an almighty benevolence. It was made with information transfer natural to it. We can understand the world outside ourselves. It was made with gifts of pleasure arranged to greet receptors on unexpected levels. Who knew but that a strawberry and the human tongue would meet and rejoice. Even the encounter with the Living God is fraught with pleasure. We look up into the sublime terrors and, answering His suggestion that He is good and wishes to be known, find a faith which offers us security in approaching Him. It is such security that it can stand before the power of eternal annihilation and have the thing that is the threat itself reach out to secure you. It is His power that is our greatest threat and it is His kindness that makes it sublime. Do you believe that He rewards the seeker? Does this joy surprise? Can we seriously claim any other satisfaction is greater than the pleasure of seeking the God, finding Him, and being welcomed by Him?

Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud,
be gracious to me and answer me!
Thou hast said, "Seek ye my face."
My heart says to thee,
"Thy face, LORD, do I seek."
Hide not thy face from me.
Turn not thy servant away in anger,
thou who hast been my help.
Cast me not off, forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
Psalm 27:7-9

"Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Isaiah 55:6-7

"Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few."
Matthew 7:7-14

"He who has ears, let him hear." Matthew 13:9

1 comment:

Evan B. Wilson said...

Yep, I do.
That said, it is also the case that, when we learn something new (however long it took us in the patience of God to learn it) we look in shock at those who fail to now adopt our new understanding immediately.