Seeking My Lord as He Seeks for Me!

Have you ever left something on a plane as you dis-embark? Well, I did it again on Monday January 5th! Kathy and I boarded the ‘red-eye’ at 12:35 a.m. from Anchorage to Seattle. That can be a tough flight because it flies during normal sleep hours. Yet, it is hard to sleep in a seat on the plane. I did manage to doze some, and I was awakened when the wheels of our jet pounded down on the runway in Seattle. Being somewhat tired, and trying to help Kathy with her luggage, I grabbed my backpack and walked off the plane. We landed in concourse C, and our next leg flew out of concourse N. So, we hopped the train and when we reached concourse D, I said to Kathy, “I left my book.” It was in the pocket in front of my seat. In my book was also my paper boarding pass which I was using as a bookmark. Now what do I do?

I considered just leaving the book, but that was book 16 out of twenty books in the series I am currently reading. Even though I could use my phone for boarding the next flight, I still also wanted my paper pass. But, I wasn’t sure it was worth backtracking. Would my book actually be there?

I sent Kathy on to concourse N, and I returned on the train to concourse C. As I approached the gate (C 9), there were no agents at the desk, nor anyone at the on-ramp door. Should I give up? I saw someone across the room at another desk and went to ask. A nice lady agent replied, “Well, that’s not our flight, but I’ll go look.” She unlocked the door and got back on the plane. No one was on the plane, nor could she find my book in my seat-back. However, she suggested, “You could try the service desk.” So, I walked down past gate C 5 to the service desk and another friendly agent asked how she could help. “I left my book on flight 226 at gate C 9. Another agent went to look and could not find it. She encouraged me to ask you.” This agent looked on the window sill behind her desk. “Here’s a book with a boarding pass. Is your name Jonathan Rockey?” I had my book back, with my boarding pass! To be honest, I was surprised to have found it. I count that, after discovering I had misplaced my book, I made 3 different decisions to search for, or to continue searching for my lost book. But in this case persistence paid off.

There is an old proverb which states, “If God seems far away, guess who moved?!” Perhaps because our Heavenly Father knows our wandering tendencies, He encourages us to seek for Him. Do you know this verse from Isaiah 55? 6 "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:6-7) God calls those who have wandered away from Him to repent and to seek HIM!

Jesus also knew in His time on this earth that people stop seeking God because they are distracted by the other needs and pleasures of this life. So, in The Sermon on the Mount He teaches, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33) Since our Lord provides, it is wise to first and foremost seek Him, and His kingdom. He is the One who provides us with all that we need, for body and soul, for this life and eternally!

When teaching later in The Sermon on the Mount about prayer, our Lord also instructs His followers, and us, 7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8) It is sad that God has to remind us to seek Him. Yet, these are only 3 of many verses in Scripture where God calls for this faithfulness.

Yet, perhaps somewhat surprising, we are not the only ones seeking. In Luke 15 Jesus tells the parable of The Lost Sheep. 4 "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:4-6) Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He does not wait for us to come to Him. In truth, our efforts only fall short. In love, the Father sent Jesus who lays down His life for His wandering sheep! GOD SEEKS US! (John 10)

So, I turned around in the airport and backtracked to find my lost book. It was worth it. Seeking my Lord, and His kingdom and righteousness is also wise. However, because Jesus came seeking His wandering children, it is not only smart of me to turn and follow Him, I want to seek and find the one who laid down His life for me! And, since He is seeking me at the same time, I can be sure that He will be successful!