Being a Seeker & a Finder

Since moving to Austin, I have had plenty of seeking and finding adventures. I’ve been a prudent seeker as I’ve made my way around this very large city to find various locations of retailers, sports activities, restaurants, a car wash, the post office, and other places. And, I’m happy to say, I have been a finder of many interesting places, people and treasures. I’m still seeking furnishings for my home and doing my best to be patient with delivery schedules, assembling items and even grinning and bearing it when something shows up and has manufacturer defects. But for the most part, I’ve enjoyed the thrill of the hunt.

My seeking and finding adventures pale in comparison to British Archaeologist Howard Carter’s. After seeking for many years, it seemed his search was doomed for failure. For over two thousand years, prior to his search, tourists, grave robbers and archaeologists had searched for the burial places of Egypt’s Pharaohs. Armed with only a few scraps of evidence, Carter kept seeking and finally found the ancient Egyptian tomb and treasures of King Tutankhamun (King Tut), who reigned from 1352 to 1343 BC.

It was 3,265 years later, on November 26, 1922, that Carter made this discovery. No one in the modern world had ever seen anything like it. The king’s embalmed body lay within a nest of three coffins, the inner one of solid gold. On the king’s head was a magnificent golden portrait mask and numerous pieces of jewelry lay on the body and in its wrappings. Other rooms were crammed with statues, a chariot, weapons, chests, vases, daggers, jewels and a throne. Howard Carter’s archaeological discovery was found because he did not give up seeking.

I’ve been enjoying my “One Year Bible” and the “Hide and Seek” adventures I’m having with it. Well, nothing is hidden there, but it sure feels like it sometimes when we’re needing wisdom for a dilemma, a project, a challenge or simply encouragement to face another day. We don’t stop – we keep seeking. We are on the “hunt” for the hidden treasure. And the more we seek, we find that God loves us so much — enough to reveal Himself to us if we persistently seek Him.

Each day, we find treasures as we open our Bible and seek to hear from God. It is not just a matter of learning some ‘top tips for life’, but learning from the source of wisdom Himself. But, seeking God requires discipline and patience, like Carter’s discipline and patience in discovering King Tut’s treasures. In the same way, diamond quarries were found by those who didn’t quit. Vast oil wells were discovered by those who persisted. And, as we seek, we find God opens up treasures to us from His Word.

Jesus showed us how to discover treasures: “Keep on asking. Keep on seeking. Keep on knocking. For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened’ (Matthew 7:7-10)

I don’t know about you – but I’m going on a treasure hunt. I want to keep seeking and finding more love, power and wisdom to navigate this life with the abundance Christ promised…..and He is a promise-keeper!