Seek …
The word “seek” means to look for, to search for, to pursue, go after. It occurs 244 times in 233 verses in the King James Version. Here are some of them –
“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.” (1 Chronicles 16:11)
“Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD.” (1 Chronicles 22:19)
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.” (Psalm 27:4)
“Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14)
“Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.” (Psalm 105:3-4)
“I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.” (Proverbs 8:17)
“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:” (Isaiah 55:6)
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)
“Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” (Luke 17:33)
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)
“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:30)
“And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.” (John 8:50)
“Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.” (1 Corinthians 10:24)
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3)
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
“For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” (Hebrews 13:14)
Let’s consider several of the above verses.
“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.” (Psalm 27:4)
What a desire of the “one thing” the Psalmist wanted from the Lord! We can also link this verse to Paul, the apostle. Recall when he was on the road to Damascus, he asked two questions – “Who art thou, Lord?” and, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:5-6). Paul’s life was spent getting answers to these questions. Here, we can liken “beholding the beauty of the Lord” to “Who art Thou?” and “inquiring in his temple” to “What wilt thou have me to do?”
“Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.” (1 Corinthians 10:24)
“… we are to seek the welfare of [others]. … [A Christian] should be concerned about his influence and effect on others.” 1
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)
“[The Lord] says, in effect, If you will put God’s interests first in your life, I will guarantee your future needs. If you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, then I will see that you never lack the necessities of life.” 2
Similar to Matthew 6:33, Paul says, “Since ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:1-3)
“The believer is seen as having died with Christ, having been buried with him, and having risen with him from among the dead. The spiritual meaning of all this is that we have said goodbye to the former way of life, and have entered upon a completely new type of life, that is, the life of the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Because we have been raised with Christ, we should seek those things which are above…. [The Christian] is setting his mind (affection) on things above. [He] is living like a citizen of heaven here on earth.” 3
We are a new creation. Our life is hid with Christ in God. Our viewpoint towards the world and its value system has changed. We are “dead” to the “old man” – his ways and beliefs – and alive to the new!
“Let all those that seek thee [God] rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.” (Psalm 40:16 and Psalm 70:4)
1 (J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible, Volume V (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983), 47.
2 (William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), 1227.
3 (William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), 2007.