Remember standing in line while two captains picked their team? Everyone was crying, “pick me, pick me”. Who among us does not want to be picked; liked, respected, accepted, wanted and even loved by someone or something? It may be our faithful dog and how he/she greets and even becomes our protector. By the same token, we have a distaste for the person who goes out of their way to avoid us or for those who may even bully us in some way. No one wants to spend their life with a person who doesn’t want to live with or even be seen with them.
Has it occurred to you that God also wants to be wanted? He planted a desire for eternity [a divine attribute] in our hearts but then leaves our response to that desire to separate out the ‘gold from the fool’s gold’, the authentic from the wannabe. (Eccl. 3:11)
Imagine a seed or a bulb enduring the cold of winter, but then the desire within begins to force its way through the frozen ground to see the sun and becomes a crocus or daffodil. The dark cold winter takes the bulb with a weaker desire out of the game, but it cannot hold back those with healthy life within. Consider our example Jesus, Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) …who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Our Lord tells us in Matthew 6:33 (NLT2) Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously… The Greek word translated “seek” means to seek God’s reign over you as much as you would seek your last, but lost, few coins.
Like us, the Apostle Peter repeatedly messed up, but he chose to nurture the passion in his heart to seek Jesus. When in the midst of a storm with the Sea of Galilee’s waves crashing over the sides of the boat, he got out of the boat just to be with His Lord! When Jesus was arrested, though he ran as the others, he kept following Jesus from a safe distance because he wanted to be with Christ. After his world had collapsed in darkness when Jesus died, as soon as he heard Jesus had risen from the grave, he ran to the tomb to find Him. Trying to understand all that had happened he went fishing, but as soon as he saw his Hero walking the shore line, he plunged into the water and swam to be with Jesus. God allows us to go through discouraging times, even to fail miserably, in order to draw out our desire to know Him more deeply. A snapshot of the reward is seen in Job’s awe inspired words after extended pain and confusion, I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. Job 42:5 (NLT). God wants our passion for Him to grow until it is able to exceed our deepest pains.
What have you been doing with the desire God planted in your heart to know Him in a more intimate and perfect way? Have you been persistently nurturing your desire to be close to Him to the point your family, friends or those you serve can see its fruit or have you just wanted Jesus when you want something or are in trouble? I’ve taken great comfort in knowing that God will draw close to me when I choose to draw close to Him. Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV) You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart… He longs for me to want Him enough to seek Him with all my heart!! What might God’s persistent love for you say about the kind of God who created you?