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The Seeker
“I was sought by
those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek
Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am’ to a nation that was not called
by My Name” (Isaiah 65:1)
On the day after our return from Washington, DC
and New York, it was a surprise when my mother suddenly needed to go
back to St. Mary’s Hospital. We were having lunch with her, when
the out-patient nurse from St. Mary’s suddenly appeared, asked
several questions, and my Mom volunteered that she had two or three
“falls” in the previous few days. Off we went, back to the
hospital.
During a few hours in the Emergency Room before
my Mother’s admittance, a tall black woman with blonde hair was
pacing up-and-down the hallway, periodically demanding, “Get
me out of here,” along with asking, “Why
are they taking so long?” The staff was annoyed, but
exhibited patience, and finally a lady came out and announced, “All
right, Susan, you’ve got what you want, it’s time to go; you can
leave now!” Susan became upset again – For whatever
combination of reasons, she didn’t want to leave. “No,
it’s not time yet”, was her response. In her fear, Susan was
trying to control – everything!
Susan wanted what she wanted, preferring that
things be HER way. Not unlike Susan, MANY people would like to
complain to God about what’s happening (if they knew how to talk to
Him), and most would still be upset if things were different.
In recent years, lots of surprises have filled
my life. I did not expect to be married, or be ordained and become
a pastor, or have an internet ministry (www.FridayStudy.org
-www.firstchurchontheneg.org
and
www.BlessedHands.org) that would reach 40,000 a month in
50-countries. It was a surprise to become chaplain of the Agent
Orange Widows Awareness Coalition (www.AOWAC.org)
and visit congressional offices in Washington, DC, on behalf of
cancer patients, as we did a few weeks ago.
Actually, thinking back over many years, I did
not even EXPECT to ever trust in Jesus Christ in the first place. I
was remembering all that just the other day, during a discussion
with a young man who was somewhat embarrassed to have the first name
of “Christian”, because he is an
aggressive atheist like I once was. I was among “those
who did not ask” (for God) or “seek
Him” as in today’s Scripture. In my case, God, as He often
does with people, said “Here I am”
to someone (me) who did not even want Him.
The 1960’s and ‘70’s were times when many
denied reality and professed atheism, which is a philosophy for
those who simply do not want God. The word “denial” is appropriate,
for God certainly does exist and it is necessary to pretend He does
not, in order to maintain such ideas. In
Romans 1:18, God the Holy
Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, observed the “ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men”, noting our tendency to “suppress
the truth in unrighteousness” – even to ourselves. During
the 60’s, I was like a child in a pretend world, and worse, I wanted
others to “pretend” with me. “Christian”
the atheist, seems to be much the same.
Somewhere down inside, we all know that God is
true and finally, after a number of years, I could no longer
maintain the lie of atheism. Then I incredibly turned to another
lie; that of “Eastern” religions, where the real God is ignored in
favor of a false system that is worse than useless, because it leads
us away from the truth. Do you want the truth? – Jesus IS the
truth! (John 14:6).
It was in a “Hindu” monastery that God “spoke”
to my heart, directing me to His Son, Jesus Christ. When I had no
interest in Him, He was reaching out to me. My heart aches for the
man named “Christian,” for in his
angry isolation, he reminds me of me, thirty years ago. I pray that
Christian and those like him will hear the Lord.
God wants you to be His. There is not some
“elite” group that God likes better than other people, for in fact,
He is “Not willing that ANY should perish,
but that ALL should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). God
says, “Here I am” to those who do
not want Him, and He has revealed something of Himself to all who
have ever lived. Salvation is not based on our intelligence,
favorable situation of birth or any outward circumstance. Abraham
knew very little about God, but he placed his faith in what (in Who)
he knew, becoming “the father of
(the model for) all those who
believe” (Romans 4:11).
The natural state of humanity is actually
indifference to the God who created us and then loved us enough
to die in our place; and there’s a reason we are that way: Like
Susan at St. Mary’s Hospital, and “Christian”
the atheist, we want to run things OUR way. People are so insistent
on personal autonomy, the “freedom to
choose” (a phrase we often hear), that multitudes deny
reality just to get their own way.
Down deep inside, we all know that God is
real. We understand that He expects us to give up our failed ideas
and utterly place our trust in Him. It isn’t that we must be
“clever” and find Him; because it actually is the Lord who is
continually revealing Himself to us. We are merely to accept Him,
who has delivered us from sin and death. He knows Who and what we
need and we must eventually breathe “yes” to Him, or face an eternal
debt that can never be satisfied.
God is real, and we don’t change that by
denying His existence. Someone once said, “The
atheist can’t find God for the same reason that a thief can’t find a
police officer.” And the Scripture, “While
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8) is
especially interesting: While we did not like God or want Him or
care about Him in any way, Jesus Christ died for you and me. God is
patiently wooing us with His love, whispering, “Here
I am,” even to those who aren’t interested at all. He did it
with me, and if you are like I was, He’s doing the same for you.
Let’s pray:
Father, we understand that Your Hand of Mercy
is reaching out to us right now. To at least some extent, we have
all rejected You, even though we know You are true. Lord, I confess
my sin of denying You, and I trust in You now. Thank You, Lord, for
saying “Here I am,” and reaching
out to me. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.FridayStudy.org
www.FirstChurchontheNet.org
www.BlessedHands.org
E-mail:
Ron@FridayStudy.org
Tel: (562) 688-5559
PO Box 92131
Long Beach, CA 90809-2131
"While
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"
(Romans 5:8) |
