(This is an amplified version of the meditational word in yesterday’s church bulletin)
In one of His many confrontations with the religious leaders of His day, Jesus told them: "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life."(John 5:39-40) I’ve often told you that everybody is looking for something. Sadly, more often than not, people are looking for the wrong things. These religious leaders were searching the scriptures, which was a good thing. However, they were not looking for God. They were only searching the scriptures to draw out from them anything that supported their way of thinking. Why? They did so because, as Jesus pointed out, they "were not willing" to come to Him.
It is no different with those who foolishly declare that they no longer believe in God because of this or that. They will use the same worn out lame excuses many people use as the reasons they no longer believe or serve Him. This, of course, includes no longer attending church. Even when they won’t directly admit it, they just got angry or gave up on God because of what someone or some church did to them, or what they saw in the life of a certain professing Christian, as if it were God’s fault. The truth is that, just like Christ’s religious opponents, they don’t want to draw near to Jesus. All this time, many of them were just looking for an excuse to stray from Him, much like the beaten boxer who is just waiting for the right time to hit the canvas. It may come with the next punch from his opponent that looks halfway decent or he may fake an injury as the reason he can no longer continue.
Besides faith, coming to Christ is a matter of the will. In fact Jesus said that those who seek will find. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God said basically the same thing centuries before Jesus’ birth. He said: “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13) Again, this is a matter of the will. Those who are looking for excuses will never find God. The next time you hear someone make some excuse for not believing, remind them that if they sincerely seek the truth, they will find it in Christ.
God’s word for today: (Psalm 9:10) “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
