Searching for God

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.” -John 1.29-34

The story of Jesus is full of people searching for God, waiting for the Messiah, and missing Him when He shows up. John the Baptist was the one who was sent before Christ to announce the coming of the Messiah, and prepare the people for the coming of Jesus. John was actively waiting, searching and longing for the moment when God would reveal the Messiah. By his own confession, He did not recognize Jesus until the God revealed to Him that this was the Christ who would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

We can only know God to the extent He chooses to reveal Himself, and He only reveals Himself to the extant we are longing for and searching for Him. The people were waiting for their Messiah, but the Messiah as they would have Him. The result is the Jews missed Him when He came on the scene, and they are still waiting for Him to come. The people were expecting the Messiah. The Jews even send people to inquire of John if he is the one they have been waiting for (John 1.19-22). They are waiting for the Messiah as they have imagined He will be, and as a result they miss Him when He shows up.

God does not change in order to fit human expectations; God is God. If we would come to know God, we must seek Him for who He is, not who we would have Him to be. God reveals Himself to those who search for Him, to the extent that they search for Him. The Jews were looking for a political Messiah, one who would rise up in military strength and overthrow Rome. John the Baptist was searching for the Messiah who would come and take away the sin of the world, transforming the hearts of people. The latter found God, the former is still waiting for Him to come.

Searching for God means surrender and submission to Him. It meas setting aside everything in pursuit of Him. It means actively looking, not simply sitting idly by, waiting for Him to show up. The times in my life that have been the most enriching are the times I have searched like John the Baptist, searching and sharing. The rest of the time has been when I've acted like the Jews did back in the days leading up to Jesus' appearance, waiting for Him to show up in the way I think He should.

To find God we must seek Him for who He is, and what He desires to do in our lives. That search will not be unsuccessful.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!