Are the plans changing again?

 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

There are seasons in our lives where 'planning' is just not possible. We call those crisis times. In those moments, we react to the current needs, forgetting all about plans we may have made or plans we'd like to make. Why? Our attention is required in the present moment. It is good to know that even when we are not able to 'plan' or 'work the plan' we have made, God remains fully in control of our lives. His plan is being worked, even when ours may have had to go on hold for a bit!

As we move from crisis moment to 'normal routine' again, we may assume the plans we had made, but it is quite possible our plans were altered by the crisis. Why? The crisis made something clearer, rearranged our priorities, created a sense of need within us, drew us closer together, or just challenged us in some way to get out of the rut we had begun to dig. Plans are good, but don't always count on them to remain consistent!

If we want to always be in tune with what God has planned for us, we need to be asking him what he has planned. There is great wisdom in admitting our own plans aren't always working out as we 'planned'. There is also great wisdom in 'checking in' with God to be sure our 'plans' are the right ones for the season we are in. The sad truth is we don't always consult him to see if they need a bit of change. We assume once they were laid out, they'd remain the same. As we make steps forward, we encounter things we didn't expect to face. What we do in those moments is important.

When we stop, ask, and then listen, do you know what God does? He listens and responds! He either tells us our plans are spot on, or he shows us where they need adjustment. Either way, it is because we asked and then paid close attention to what he said. We might just find 'our plans' begin to align a bit closer to God's plans for us when we actually follow these steps! Just sayin!

Humble enough to ask

God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. (Matthew 5:2)

Many believe to be 'poor' is to be without money, goods, or even the means by which to obtain these. There is a deeper meaning in the original Greek language we sometimes miss - (Ptochos - Gk) to be spiritually poor, humble, and devout. In the original language, it carries the meaning of being humble in one's attitude. It is indeed a character trait we each need to have 'worked into' our lives. It does not usually come naturally to any of us - we tend to be a bit too 'self-centered' in our own nature. When God's nature begins to take hold within any believer who has said 'yes' to Jesus, there is a change in how one views self and others - a good change!

What does 'being humble in one's attitude' look like? We come into this world, each of us 'spiritually poor' - we don't possess any means by which to atone for our sins - something we need since all are born with a sin nature. When it comes to approaching God, we have to come to a place where we recognize the extreme poverty of spirit we actually have when is Spirit does not fill that 'empty space' within us designed specifically for him. Spiritual emptiness is likely the meaning of this passage - God rewards those who recognize their spiritual emptiness and come to him to be filled.

What makes the poor or beggar so unique in scripture? They are never too proud to ask for what it is they have need of. I think this is what Jesus was telling each of us as he preached this sermon that day - we all need to be humble enough to ask for what it is we most need at this moment. If you are anything like me, there have been moments when you wanted to ask, but you were too stubborn or proud to ask. Why? Who really knows, but somehow, and oftentimes without reason, we convinced ourselves that 'asking' was not going to 'work'. When we finally came to the place to ask, we found our need met. 

Don't be surprised to find that you 'every' need matters to God. It isn't just the 'big stuff', or the 'spiritual stuff' that matters. We want to believe these things take priority, but God has a different 'system' of determining what takes priority in our lives most of the time. All he asks is that we be humble enough to ask - then leave the rest to him. Just sayin!

Ready for the hunt?

Whoever goes hunting for what is right and kind finds life itself—glorious life! (Proverbs 21:21)

I receive regular emails from our state Fish & Game department, allowing me to stay abreast of the stocking schedules. I also receive reminders about the various hunting seasons, although I am not a hunter. If you like to hunt, you know it is important to not only know when the season is about to open, but how urgent it is to prepare ahead of time. You must get drawn, acquire your tags, stock up the hunting equipment, and scout out the perfect spot to conduct the hunt. It takes some work, doesn't it? God asks for ALL of us to be 'spiritual hunters' - already having provided all we need to conduct the hunt. Our hunt is not for furry critters, but for what is right and kind. In other words, we set aside the pursuit of all that is wrong and impure, seeking only after what will bring glory and honor to God within our lives.

We 'hunt' for a lot of things in life - some more 'worthy' than others. The hunt is on for acceptance - desiring committed relationships. The hunt for appreciation is active in all of us - desiring to feel wanted, needed, and useful. The hunt for satisfaction keeps us moving in a certain path - based upon the hope we will find what will add 'value' into our lives. I know we all hunt, but do we always have successful hunts? If you know a hunter, they will tell you they can take all the right steps to prepare, get drawn for the hunt, have license and equipment in hand, and never see their desired target. Just being on the hunt doesn't ensure we will find what it is we are hunting.

When the 'hunt' is for righteousness and kindness, we are guaranteed we will hit the target each and every time. We may desire righteousness but have no idea how to 'prepare' for the hunt. We may desire kindness to be the mode of operation but find we aren't 'prepared' for the many unkind deeds we will face along the way. In both cases, the 'hunt' is successful when we are 'prepared' for what we will encounter in the 'hunt'. How do we prepare for finding righteousness revealed in our lives? We decide to daily seek God's wisdom and purpose for our lives. That means we make time for him a priority, not the last-minute choice of our day. Do you know how kindness is found? We extend it - even when it may not be deserved.

Prepare for the hunt and you won't be disappointed - this is God's 'guarantee' for those who seek him first. Notice God never says just bumble along and you will find what you are looking for. He asks us to 'be on the hunt' for righteousness and kindness in our lives. Active participation in this relationship with him is required. To passively engage with him is one thing, but to actively engage in relationship with him, making him the first priority of our day will yield a much bigger harvest of righteousness and kindness in our lives. Prepare for the hunt today. You might just be surprised how much easier it is to hit the 'target'. Just sayin!

Bountifully Blessed

But all who are hunting for you—oh, let them sing and be happy. Let those who know what you’re all about tell the world you’re great and not quitting. And me? I’m a mess. I’m nothing and have nothing: make something of me. You can do it; you’ve got what it takes—but God, don’t put it off. (Psalm 40:16-17)

I love this psalm of David because of the sincerity of heart I see expressed in each word he speaks. He reminds us God lifts us out of the deep ditches, the sticky places, then helps us see what it is like when we come to see the world as a huge stockpile of God-wonders. Eyes open, heart eager to respond, thoughts turned to God - standing ready for God's intervention. The most truthful words of this psalm are about in the middle - where David calls out to God to deal with his amassed guilt - the very guilt he had accumulated through many wrong choices. He describes his condition of spirit and soul: "I was so swamped by guilt I couldn’t see my way clear. More guilt in my heart than hair on my head, so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out." (vs. 12) I can account for my own realization of having stood exactly where David stood that day - bogged down in the mire of my wrong choices, stuck squarely in the middle of my mess. In the realization of where I had ended up, my soul was consumed by such guilt, it almost felt like my heart would indeed give out. God specializes in "unsticking" our stuck feet - we are not "stuck" to our sin, nor its guilt and shame - we are free in him!

My brother is an accomplished hunter, while I am more of a hunter of a good bargain at the grocery store! My brother has all kinds of skill as a hunter - able to secure much in the way of resources for his household through his skill. So, I wanted to turn today to some lessons from what I have heard my brother describe as some of the tactics and skills of a hunter. He knows what he wants to find. If he has no interest in hunting for a particular species of animal or fowl this season, he doesn't "put in" for the tags to go on the hunt. In other words, he has a design in his hunting - the object of his desire. God always honors the man or woman who makes him the object of their desire! Knowing what or who it is we want in this "hunt" is the first step in being on the right track to find what it is we are "hunting". He knows finding requires some preparation. He secures the right ammunition, the correct size of weapon, and then 'gears up' for the climate he will hunt in. He doesn't waste his time looking where the hunted animal or fowl will not be found. Knowing what the species feasts upon gives him a pretty good idea of where to find them - since he has explored much of the forest and desert lands in our state, he knows well where to find these "feasting" areas. I don't think things are much different in our pursuit of God - he "feasts" on certain things like the honesty of a heart, the reach of an empty hand, or the tears of a grieving soul. He can always be found in the midst of our need. His location is not as unpredictable as some may think - for he is consistently in exactly the same location!

He scouts for the object of the hunt. What amazes me most is the work my brother has to go to weeks ahead of the hunt - not to obtain the object of the hunt during those early trips, but to become familiar with the places he will hunt, what food is available, and the times of day they feast on those foods. Scouting is nothing more than observing. Through scouting expeditions, my brother is getting familiar with the paths. He looks for signs of their places of rest, their paths of travel, and their points of feeding. Why? He knows in taking time to get to know these traits, he will become familiar with the object of his hunting. Here we find the secret of a heart after God - in taking the time to become familiar with the object of our attention he becomes the object of our affection. My brother is frequently rewarded for his work. No hunter likes to return home empty-handed. If you have prepared well, becoming so familiar with the places the object of your hunt frequents, you might not return empty-handed. God is the God of plenty - not the God of emptiness. The "work" of seeking the object of the hunt "pays off" in the bounty we are rewarded with. I believe the purpose of the hunt for my brothers was not the "sport" of the hunt, but the "bounty" of the hunt. It is in the "bounty" that he receives that the needs of his home are met. It is in the "bounty" of God's provision of love, hope, healing, forgiveness, and grace that our hearts are filled to overflowing. I may not hunt for the furry or feathered creatures of this earth, but my heart is steadfast in its pursuit of the one who gives me "bounty" beyond my ability to fully contain it. I hope you are along with me on this "hunt". Just sayin!

What can you count on?

A lot of us think we can count on something, then find what we have been counting on falls apart right before our eyes or underneath our feet. I lived in Alaska for about three years and absolutely enjoyed it - but I came to appreciate not everything 'beneath my feet' was to be believed. One day as I was getting off the bus on my way to the local shopping mall in Anchorage, I ventured across the street on a cold, wintery day. Being from Arizona and not really familiar with this snow and ice, I had absolutely no idea what was to happen next. I was crossing a street, saw a puddle and imagined it to be just like any other puddle I had experienced. Can you say 'pothole'? Imagine one as deep as your kneecap and you can picture me there on the main drag in Anchorage. Up to my knees in cold, brown, icy mush on one side, while the other side of my body was precariously slipping around trying to get out of it! We think we can count on stuff to always be as we have known them to be, but when our world falls apart and we are precariously 'slipping around' trying to regain some form of 'footing' in life, we can get a little twitter-pated! Life isn't going to always be as we have known it (2020 should be proof of that). Life isn't always going to be as 'predictable' as we might imagine. It also isn't going to be without hope. I could have been both legs in that hole, up to my knees in the mess, but I wasn't! I had some footing left with which to rescue myself. How many times do we find ourselves one foot in, one foot out, thinking we can rescue ourselves? Maybe one too many....

This is God’s Word on the subject: “As soon as Babylon’s seventy years are up and not a day before, I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. “When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree. “I’ll turn things around for you. I’ll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you”—God’s Decree—“bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

God has plans to take care of us, but we don't always walk within those plans, do we? We like to walk a little too close to the line on occasion, sometimes putting ourselves in rather precarious situations that we really have no way of avoiding now that we are that close to the edge. God's plans deal with both our present and our future. They include provision and protection. We may not understand them fully, but if we can just get hold of those two thoughts for a moment, maybe we would be able to stand a little stronger when we find ourselves 'one foot in' and 'one foot on the edge'. God's plan is to protect us, but we all know protection includes doing what we know to do while he does the rest. I don't understand how a vaccine will prevent or reduce the effects of Coronavirus in my body - at least not fully - but I do understand that the vaccine will help protect me. So, I get the vaccine. I do my part and I let the vaccine do what it is intended to do. I get the injection, enduring the immune responses of my body setting up within me, revealing to me that the vaccine is doing the part it is designed to do. God's plans are like that - we do what we know to do and then we trust him to do the parts only he can do.

His plans for us are also to provide for us - not because we earn it, but because he loves us enough to make a way where there is no way to be found in the natural. He isn't going to abandon us into our state of misery, worry, and anxiety. He isn't going to leave us alone, even when we plead with him to just abandon us in our misery. Job is an example of that one, for sure. Sitting high atop a pile of dung (just another word for poop), he is scraping at boils that are festering with shards of broken pots, and all he wants is to be out of his misery. What does he do next? He makes his misery worse by sitting in the dung, scraping away, complaining all the while that he has been abandoned and left to suffer this horrible end to his life. Even a couple of his 'friends' get an invite to the 'pity party' and add fuel to his misery by telling him he must have done something pretty horrible to deserve his present circumstances. If I ever hold a 'pity party', remind me not to invite those guys! 

God's means of working aren't always going to be easy for us to understand, but two things remain consistent through all of time - he provides and he protects. We might find ourselves feeling like our world is crashing in on occasion, but he hasn't abandoned us into our misery. Look at what our response to 'the world is ending' kind of fear and anxiety we are experiencing should be - we are to go looking for him - seek him with everything that is in us. When we want him more than anything else - we will be sure to find exactly what we are looking for - HIM. Just sayin!

On the hunt

Have you ever been on the hunt for something and just not be able to locate it? I have heard how insanely hard it is to find new appliances these days because of the pandemic slowing down the manufacturing and shipment of the appliances to stores. One friend shared that her fridge absolutely conked out and she had to shop everywhere just to find a replacement. When she finally found one, it was still going to be a week before it would be in stock and delivered! Even when she was 'on the hunt' and knew what she needed, it was insanely hard to find. For me, it is finding clothes that fit the way I like them to fit, in a style that is practical, and at a price point that won't break the bank. We all have those things that we are 'on the hunt' for from time to time, but it is the thing that we are on the hunt for each and every day that will either make us or break us. If the 'hunt' is right, the results are bound to be fruitful!

Whoever goes hunting for what is right and kind finds life itself—glorious life! (Proverbs 21:21)

Right and kind might actually be better translated "righteousness and mercy" - the aim of the hunt is twofold - be on the hunt for all that is right and never settle for something that isn't based in God's mercy. To be truthful here, I have 'settled' for a good many things in my days that were neither 'right', nor remotely grounded in God's mercy. They were things that 'looked good', but proved to be not so good for me in the end. We probably all have had those moments of 'settling' for something, then regretted it in the end, huh? God's plan is quite the opposite, but it involves us being willing to lay down what we 'think' we want or need, and then begin to obediently pursue the things he 'knows' we want and need.

I am called all the time by these folks that want to buy houses and will pay you cash for your home. They assume I still have a mortgage and that I may want to leave my home sometime soon. I stop them almost immediately when they declare their purpose for calling, politely telling them I have no interest in selling just before I begin to depress the receiver. Today, so many want bigger spaces. I might like a little more room and a huge shop in the back to pursue my hobbies, but I am quite content with what God has given to me. I may have a shed that I have converted into a workshop, but it does the job nicely. I don't need more - I need what is best for me and God always knows what that will be.

There are a couple principles here we should not miss. First, we have to be active in the 'hunt'. We don't find what is right and merciful just by sitting around doing nothing. A hunter will tell you there is a great deal that goes into the hunt in the way of preparation. Being in the right spot at the right time isn't by accident - it is purposeful planning and preparation. The same holds true in our spiritual life - we don't just latch onto good and righteous things in our lives because they fall into our laps. We have to pursue them with tenacity. 

Second, we have to know what we are want. If we just go window shopping, chances are we will buy things we didn't even need. When we are on the hunt for the refrigerator that has the dimensions that fit our household needs, we are more apt to search and search until we find it. Spiritual truths don't just come alive to us because we open our Bible verse of the day app. We have to really read it, look at it in context, and then ask God to reveal truth to us - how we need to use that scripture to become more like him in our daily lives. We pursue righteousness and mercy - seeking the right stuff, that fills the right 'space' in our lives is essential.

Lastly, we won't be on a fruitless hunt when we have hunted with this type of tenacity. We are bound to find righteousness and mercy when we seek God first and allow the others things of this world to become less important to us. Just sayin!

Better than the bushes

Do you remember playing that simple game of "hide and seek", running wildly around the house or yard, trying to find just the right hiding place?  Back in the day, we had a great neighborhood for hiding. We had 13 citrus trees in our yard, not to mention a huge mulberry tree, and two pretty impressive sized junipers just as you turned into the driveway to our house. All provided ample hiding space for one who could scurry up the trunk and into the cover of the leaves, or scooch way down inside the juniper's ample cover fast enough. In addition to this, we had all kinds of hiding places behind the pigeon coop, around the pool area, behind the garage, and even behind a row of shiny silver trash cans. Yet, as I recall all the places I hid, none was as safe as the place I run to now when I just need a little 'hiding out' from life's challenges!

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in sea storm and earthquake, before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains. Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us. (Psalm 46:1-3)

We all have "hiding places" we run to from time to time - either because we feel threatened, or we just need a good place to get away from it all. Some are more skilled at this "hiding" thing than others are - try as we might, we just cannot seem to find them when they "duck for cover" or crawl into that place of 'hiding' that they frequent. The problem with most of our "hiding" places is the "purpose" behind our need to hide in the first place! Sometimes we hide because the guilt of our sin seems too big. At others, we hide simply because the "work" of being exposed is just too much - we'd have to keep an eye on our facade of being righteous just a little too closely for our liking! Probably one of the most telling reasons for hiding is the tendency we all have to feel "inferior" to someone else - so we hide what we see as our flaws and imperfect abilities from others.

Regardless of why we are hiding, we need to recognize there is only one safe place to "hide". The purpose of hiding is to prevent something from being discovered. The only "safe" place where we can be who we really are is in the presence of God. Yet, we run for all kinds of other "cover" instead of the one place where we can just "let down our hair" and be "real". Why? I think it may be as simple as us thinking our "cover" is working! Look at our passage again. God is a safe place to hide - not to conceal us, but to help us when we are in a place of need. It is in the very presence of God where we are changed - our need to conceal becomes void because he is able to change what we desire to cover-up! He is even a safe place for one to seek! Hide or seek - he is it!

I know many of my readers face challenging times today. There are battles with cancer, the depression of significant loss of one form or another, the inward and constant pull of some secret sin, or perhaps the exhaustion of trying to be all things to everyone in your life. Regardless of the challenge we face, we have but one 'good option' - run to God. Hide in him for a while. In your "running for HIS cover", you are running right into what will meet your every need. No tree, bush, shed, or other "hiding place" really could have done the same for me back in the day as this 'cover' I can find in him today! He has truly become my place for not only hiding, but also for my seeking. We desire to stand fearless on the "cliff-edge" of the challenge before us, don't we? Courage seems to slip through our fingers as sand slowly falling through the hourglass. We just don't know how to get a grip on what has us in the fight of our lives. Here's the secret - run to God. He knows! Seems too simple, doesn't it, but it really isn't. When we run to the place where we are safe to be exactly who and what we are, we are open to receive the very thing we need to embrace to face the challenge head-on.

It is in being "real" with God, in the secret place of his refuge, that we are able to "get real" with the things and people we deal with today. God already knows we fear the "cliff-edge" - we do ourselves no favors by covering up or denying our fear. He already knows the storms are heavy upon us - we do not "ride them out" by trying to row against the winds! Instead, we "sail through them" by allowing him to direct our sails. Run to the only hiding place where all things good are at your disposal - God's presence. Afraid to? Don't be! His grace is sufficient to forgive your sin, his love fills every gap in your behavior, and his heart is always towards his children! His joy stuns our senses with the awesomeness of renewal and awakening. His peace settles the rushing waves of doubt and fear which seek to overwhelm our minds. His healing touch energizes our frailness with renewed vitality. No better hiding (or seeking) place, indeed! Just sayin!

The lesson in the medicine cabinet

For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for well-being and not for trouble, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will look for Me and find Me, when you look for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13 NLV  What does is mean to 'look with all your heart'? My daughter needed new medicine cabinets in her older home to replace those older metal ones that had become rusted and kind of beyond repair. She searched quite diligently until she found replacements that not only fit the specific size hole in the wall, but also the type that was made from metal material again. Seems the majority today that fit into the wall are plastic or MDF. The plastic was too flimsy. The MDF wouldn't take the beating of life with boys! So, she searched the shelves until she finally found the last two someone had in stock. She didn't stop looking. She didn't stop with the purchase. She didn't stop until they fully adorned her bathrooms in all of their new splendor!

Now, this may not be as significant as searching for God with all your heart, but you get the idea of searching so as to find. To seek without really believing one will find what one needs is kind of futile, is it not? The objective in seeking is to find. The objective of determined 'heart focus' is to find what brings joy and satisfaction to the heart in the long run. The object of our searching determines the outcome of our search. If we just want to 'fill the space' in our lives with whatever will 'fit', then that is exactly what we will find. My daughter didn't want to just 'fill the space' - she wanted high quality, good eye appeal, and a perfect fit. The world offers a whole lot of things that can function to 'fill the space' in our lives, capturing the attention of our heart and becoming the 'heart focus' we pursue. Not everything offered will fill the space in quite the same way God will, though! His is a perfect fit, with the highest quality, and an appeal like no other!

'Heart focus' is often the most deceptive thing for us - believing we have the 'right' focus, all the while just searching for something inferior to what God has really planned for us. We do well in considering our focus from time to time. The more we delight in having God expose any type of focus that will merely 'fill space' in our lives, the more we will find he helps us to not settle for those types of things any longer. My daughter bought the plastic ones first - they were the most reasonable and even resembled the old. The thing was that they weren't high quality - they didn't quite fill the space well enough and left gaps that made them just appear 'cheap'. The things that are the quick bargains that appear to fill the space may not really be all that good for us in the long run! She promptly boxed them up, called me for advice, and then off she went in pursuit of something different.

There are times when we are acting quite wisely to not 'settle' for whatever will 'fill the space'. We might need to take extra time and exert extra effort to find what will do more than just fill the space in our lives, but the search is what makes the difference. You see, we don't always know where we will find what it is we are seeking, but as long as we keep seeking with the right focus, we will find what we desire the most. When our desire is pure, the seeking will follow that same direction. The object we seek will be pure, as well! She went in pursuit of the MDF type, but in the back of her mind, she still knew the metal ones were her primary desire. She didn't believe them to be available any longer - for someone had mislead her into believing they were no longer carried at the builder's supply. Truth is, she still sought with a tenacity and she found what she desired - the last two that were tucked way back in a place others wouldn't think to explore.

The 'finding' is as important as the 'seeking'. When we seek with a tenacity, we find. When we seek with all our heart, we are investing ourselves in the search. This is all God desires of each of us - that we seek with an invested heart - so as to find what it is that will do more than just 'fill space' in our lives! Just sayin!

Seek so as to find delight

The one who seeks good finds delight...(Proverbs 11:27) It is sometimes quite hard for us to differentiate between what we need and what we want. Every now and again, my BFF will tell me someone is a little 'needy' that day - usually because they seem to constantly be requiring some type of intervention from us that usually isn't part of the normal course of the day. Figuring out what it is that we really have "need" of in our lives is a hard thing for some of us, while others seem to hit the nail on the head almost instantly.  We have lots and lots of "wants" that we often confuse as "needs" in our life.  Sometimes it may be something like desiring a better job instead of being grateful for the one we have.  The desire is a "want", while the actual job we have meets the "need". Needs and wants aren't always even all that close - in fact, what we need can be the furthest thing from what it is we want (such as eating a piece of fruit instead of a bowl of ice cream).

We sometimes find ourselves searching for things that have little significance or importance in our lives, but that search captivates our attention, affects our attitude, and even sets us up for a little animosity within relationships. Search basically has three definitions, with the first pointing to this idea of looking into something so carefully or thoroughly with our effort being exerted because we desire to find or discover something.  The idea is this "thoroughness" of examination that we put something (or someone) through before we embrace it (or reject it).  There is a desire to know the "ins and outs" of what it is we are examining - nothing being left that we don't discover in our examination. This type of searching / examining is usually a good thing when we are weighing our options about what type of mattress to buy, or what car will meet our needs while getting good gas mileage. Yet, this type of 'searching' alone is not usually enough - we need to consider two other aspects of the 'search' if we are to understand how we are to differentiate between needs and wants.

There is the need to explore something by inspecting possible places of concealment - because not every need is apparent.  Usually, when we are seeking in this manner it is because we "really" want to find something that we consider important to us - knowing it will be the very thing we need to take care of that need we are experiencing.  It is like when we put something away "so carefully", only to discover that we don't remember where we put it when we need it!  The hunt is on - and we leave no area unexplored until we find the exact thing we need! There are times when the greatest 'inspection' we allow in our lives will help us to discover the true intention or nature behind our needs and actions.  This is probably the most significant part of searching because it moves us from "head knowledge" (knowing something) into a place of "heart knowledge" (knowing why something is the way it is).  This type of searching gets at the root of our need.

As I said, the significance of a need isn't always apparent until the need is felt the greatest. Sometimes the need is conveyed obscurely or indirectly.  In other words, the importance of what it is we are seeking is not always obvious (it may be found only when we "peel back the layers"). There are times we convey something as important in our search, only to find there may arise other things that rise to the level of 'greater importance' in our search.  We often refer to something as "significant" whenever we have elevated that thing or person to a place of importance in our lives. I might not even know I have a plumbing leak until I am in search of that object hidden in the rear of the kitchen cabinet, but when I seek the object, I see the thing with the greater importance. It is quite possible what is important to you may not be as important to me, so this means that significance is determined by how an individual "relates" to something or someone, or the timing of thing that is discovered.

Significant time and effort goes into discovering something that reveals meaning in our lives.  We sometimes refer to something, an event, or an individual as significant because there is meaning conveyed in the contact with that thing, person or event. It is remembered and recounted all that vividly because of the meaning we attach to the thing. There are times when the most 'significant' thing isn't always known to us - but in the course of time, we come to discover the thing we have been given isn't there by chance. There are things in our lives that happen that are purposeful - not just a cosmic event of "chance".  There are people in our lives placed there for a season - not just by "chance", but to fulfill a purpose.  When we begin to realize that the event or the person is not just there "by chance", we begin to explore the event or relationship so as to discover the purpose (the real significance in our lives). In so doing, we begin to see how our 'need' is being met by that which we are discovering.

There is one thing I've discovered in my walk on this earth - if we don't know what it is that we are going after, we will never know if we are successful in our search. If we are aimless, we will hit something, but we seldom hit the target! In order to know what it is we are aiming for, we must know what we are searching for, why this thing / person / event is so important to us at this point in our life, and who is it that we are willing to share this search with?  We are never expected to "seek" alone - nor to always recognize our 'need' on our own. We are given each other for the purpose of walking this journey together. The "search" is on - who is it that you will partner with in this search? Just askin!

What are you hunting now?

My brother is a hunter. He is quite skilled at the tracking of the animals he hunts. He is able to recognize signs of their coming and going. In the effort to find a good place for his blind, he can find those positions that allow him to observe unnoticed and in time, he is able to find his target. While I am not a hunter in terms of carrying a gun, tracking game, and bringing home the meat, I am a good hunter when it comes to a bargain! I like to find that 'end-cap' hideaway where bargains go to hide and then find something I can use at a greatly reduced price. There are all kinds of 'hunters' out there and all kinds of 'hunted things' to boot. I wonder if we were all to hunt for the right and good things in life just how different our culture might become?

Whoever goes hunting for what is right and kind finds life itself—glorious life! Proverbs 21:21 MSG

Clean living before God and justice with our neighbors are just two of the traits that exemplify the life that is 'on the hunt' for what is right and kind. There is much to be said for these two traits, but nothing that says it quite like God did when he told us these two traits mean more to him than any pursuit of religious performance on our part (Proverbs 21:3). Clean living is more than just not chewing, cussing, or running with those that do. It is a choice to allow the influence of the Word of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit refine our daily actions so they align with what is good and right. While this isn't always the case in our lives, the more we allow that influence to permeate our choices, the closer our actions will be to what can be termed 'clean living'. 

Justice with our neighbors can be viewed a couple of different ways. Maybe one of the most elemental ways to interpret this is just the idea of being fair with them. Fairness implies that we remove those things that create any bias or dishonesty from the relationship. In other words, we don't prejudge and we don't live secretive lives. We are transparent in our faith and we allow others to see the love of God displayed through us. Not by 'preaching' at them every chance we get, but by being good neighbors who look out for them. Pick a few weeds once in a while, or roll their trash can back up from the curb. It won't hurt you and it shows that you aren't afraid to be the kind of neighbor God wants you to be!

Our passage implies there is a purposeful movement required - we have to "go" hunting for what is right and kind. It doesn't just fall into our laps! My brother has to pack up the toy hauler, get all the gear together he will need for that week long trip, and then set out for places with limited access and that require him some effort to get into. Then he has to set up for the week, exhibit a whole lot of patience, and even be willing to tear down / move / set up again if things aren't working out where he first explores. The pursuit of good things isn't a one time deal, my friends. It is a continual process and one which requires our involvement. Sometimes I think we believe God will deliver all goodness right into our laps. The truth is that God may require us to put forth some effort to see that 'goodness' worked out in our lives! We often find what we are hunting for, but it requires the hunt. Just sayin!