How do you seek God? This is an important question each of us must ask ourselves on any given day and at any given moment. Your answer to this question could not be any more relevant than it is this very minute because how you respond determines the trajectory of your own unique faith journey with your Heavenly Father. Therefore, seek God daily with love and dogged persistence.
Seeking a Parent with Love and Dogged Persistence
As you know, I am a proud parent to two precious fur babies. They are both very smart (and I am not just saying that because they are mine). My Black Lab-Border Collie Mix, named Augie, seems to have an impeccable internal clock. Each day around snack and mealtime, he persistently seeks me out to remind me what time it is and let me know he is ready for what he wants. Maybe you have experienced something similar with your own pet(s). Smart little cookies! Aren’t they?!
Well, just the other day, Augie went through his well-rehearsed ritual. The only difference was this time He taught me something about seeking God, and I would like to share it with you.
On a mission, Augie’s long, wet muzzle found the underside of my arm for a canine love tap. This was his calculated attempt to alert me to his rapidly approaching dinner time. When I acknowledged I knew what he wanted, his ears raised along with his eyes, and he licked his lips in confirmation. (See! I told you he is smart! Wink! Wink!)
Realizing Augie needed to wait a bit longer for dinner, I told him so. Unfortunately, my response flew in stark contrast to his desires, and he quickly let me know. From his perspective, either out of a great concern I might have misunderstood what he was telling me or a fear I would miss the moment entirely (probably the latter), Augie exercised more persistence by licking my arm in between repeated muzzle love taps. Again, I reminded him to wait. What do you suppose happened next? You guessed it! Augie raised the bar (again). This time, he added whining to the mix, as he frantically licked my arm and offered muzzle love taps at a frenzied pace.
A Lesson in Seeking G-O-D from a D-O-G
As I carefully observed Augie that day, I gained insight into not only the importance of how he aimed to seek my attention as his human parent, but I also realized how he responded to my answers was equally significant. Immediately, I began drawing parallels between our interactions with our Heavenly Father in both how we seek Him, as well as how we respond when He answers. Here is what I learned about seeking God from my dog.
I am Augie’s human parent. God is our Heavenly Father. Just like Augie sought out his parent (me) when he needed something, I imagine you seek God in moments when you, or a loved one, are in need. A need for healing. A need for discernment. A need for {fill in the blank}. I know I have. All of this brings me to the question I posed at the beginning. How do you seek God? Furthermore, how do you respond when God answers?
The Lesson Continues… What If God Makes You Wait?
Each of us seeks our Divine Parent when we pray. Not only should we pray with hearts full of thanksgiving, but He also wants us to seek Him in times of need. In those moments of great need, have you ever noticed how time seems to slow down and impatience ramps up when you are waiting for God to answer? It is like the old proverb ‘A watched pot is slow to boil,’ which was used by Benjamin Franklin under the pseudonym of Poor Richard in his annual almanac between 1732 and 1758. Another variation you have probably heard is ‘A watched pot never boils‘ (Cobbett’s Political Register, Volume 14, 1808).
In the story I shared with you about my dog, I described how Augie seeks me daily for his needs with earnest persistence. What about you? Regardless of the reason (i.e., thanksgiving or need), do you seek your Heavenly Father daily with dogged persistence?
In Augie’s example, despite not receiving the answer he wanted or being told to wait, he continued to seek me in love. Remember? Augie would “talk” to me through whining and offer muzzle love taps and licks on my arm. What about you?
How do you respond when God makes you wait for the answer to a prayer? What about if His answer differs from your desired outcome? Will you continue to seek Him daily in love, or do you grow frustrated and allow your daily time with Him to diminish, or disappear altogether?
Perhaps you believe if God really cares for you and listens to your prayers, then He should respond right away. Never forget this crucial concept. God is your Divine Parent. Your Heavenly Father. Just like I am Augie’s human parent and want only what is best for him, God is your Divine Parent who wants only the best for you! He hears your prayers. Every. Last. Prayer. He really does. If He makes you wait, then He must have a good reason. Therefore, trust Him unconditionally and show Him that you do. You can do this by seeking him daily with love and dogged persistence.
A Powerful Example from Scripture About Seeking God and… Waiting (If Necessary)
Perhaps no single person in the Bible better represents what it means to seek God daily with love and dogged persistence than Job. After losing his family, his possessions, and his health, Job never lost sight of God. He continued praying to his Heavenly Father and faithfully followed His Word. In fact, Scripture tells us Job’s response to his friend, Eliphaz the Temanite, is, “I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread” (Job 23:12, NIV). What dogged persistence Job demonstrated!
I believe it is safe to say Job suffered incomprehensible loss. Job’s dark times were not much different than those people face today. Despite all he experienced, Job believed and asserted God had his best interests at heart as an advocate.
Even when Job had to wait for answers to his prayers, he would devotedly seek God in love. A powerful testament to this fact is when Job witnessed to his friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, declaring, “Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend” (Job 16:19-21, NIV) (bold and italics added for emphasis). What love and trust Job brought to his interactions with God The Father!
Final Thoughts and a Call to Action
In life each of us will face moments of need. We must remember our Heavenly Father is our #1 advocate, and we should seek Him first. How we seek Him matters. How we respond to Him when answers to prayers require waiting or do not align with our desired outcomes matters. After all, how we respond to our Divine Parent determines the trajectory of our own unique faith journey with our Heavenly Father. Therefore, seek God daily with love and dogged persistence.