And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi, where are You staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day. (Jn. 1:36-39)

The fact that God is mysterious does not mean that He can’t or won’t be found. It means that He won’t be found by a common gaze. It was never the casual onlooker, but the desperate seeker that caught the attention of Jesus. Learn from Zacchaeus (Lk. 19:1-10), Bartimaeus (Mk. 10:46-52), or the woman healed of the issue of blood (Lk. 8:43-48). There are many today who crowd around Jesus, but there are few who touch Him.

From the beginning, God designed us to discover Him. Everyone possesses an authentic longing for adventure, to be thrilled, excited, exhilarated and fascinated by something that lasts. Boredom is what happens when we spoil our appetite for genuine fascination on something that is less than God. I feel that too many Christians are trading their birth right for cheap temporal pleasures, which is causing them to be bored, bitter and burnt out. An unsatisfied believer is a vulnerable believer.

Jesus shows up as a baby in lowly manger, grows up as a carpenter’s son and begins His ministry teaching through parables and telling the recipients of His miraculous power to not yet make it known who He is. Why did He do this? He wants more than a crowd of spectators, but a people who would tenaciously pursue Him, forsaking all that hinders, and never settling. He wants more than bandwagon fans, mimicking parrots and camouflaged chameleons, but disciples who won’t quit reaching UNTIL. Following Jesus will always disrupt the flesh. It will always pull you off your comfortable fence into the unknown territory of radical faith. Jesus never called us to be average disciples. He gave one call and that’s all: Follow Me.

God’s merciful invitation for us to “come and see” is still on the table for us today. He says, “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink – even if you have no money…Seek the Lord while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near” (Isa. 55:1, 6). You don’t have to be rich or talented, you just have to be thirsty. Being on fire for God is not about age, it is about hunger. There is a menu set before you, but it’s up to you to order and eat the food. You can’t window shop through Christianity, you must go in the store, count the cost and put it on in order to experience its reward. If you are going to climb this mountain, you’re going to have to get rid of some baggage in order to ascend to its heights. What are you holding on to today that is keeping you from climbing higher? Are you willing to rearrange your life to pursue Him deeper? Who will inconvenience themselves, let go of their reputation before man, and step beyond the outer courts?

PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR SEEKING GOD:

• Retreat: As busy as you might be, take some time away from your normal routine to spend extended solitary time with the Lord (Aside from your daily prayer time).
• Consecrate: Avoid even legitimate pleasures for a season in order to spend more time and energy seeking God. (TV, Cell Phone, Internet, Video Games, Recreation, Social Time, Etc)
• Fast & Pray: Set aside specific time to talk with God, read His Word, journal and worship. (How To Fast)
• Assemble: Connect with a few believers from your local church whom you can trust to hold you accountable. Meet/Talk with them regularly for prayer and encouragement. We can always run harder and longer if we run together.

SCRIPTURES TO PRAY THROUGH:

Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way. (Ps. 119:37)

The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him… (Ps. 25:14)

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” (Ps. 27:8)

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with Him. (Phil. 3:8-9)

My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. (Prov. 2:1-5)

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jer. 29:13)

Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets…(Dan. 2:47)