Seek And Pursue

I would like to share with you the word that the Lord shared with Word of Knowledge Christian Center. It is found in 1 Pete 3:8-13 (Amplified Bible):

11 Let him turn away from wickedness and shun it, and let him do right. Let him search for peace (harmony; undisturbedness from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts) and seek it eagerly. [Do not merely desire peaceful relations with God, with your fellowmen, and with yourself, but pursue, go after them!]

12 For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God), and His ears are attentive to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who practice evil [to oppose them, to frustrate, and defeat them].

13 Now who is there to hurt you if you are zealous followers of that which is good?

As I read this passage two words jump out at me. The words were seek and pursue. So I went to my dictionary (it helps to refresh your knowledge of words) and looked up those two words.

SEEK- 1: to resort to: go to; 2a : to go in search of: look for b: to try to discover 3 : to ask for; 4 : to try to acquire or gain : aim at; 5 : to make an attempt

PURSUE- 1 : to follow in order to overtake, capture, kill, or defeat; 2 : to find or employ measure to obtain or accomplish; 3 : to proceed along; 4a : to engage in b : to follow up or proceed with; 5 : to continue to afflict; 6 : CHASE

In this passage we are given two words of wisdom from God; first -is the secret to obtaining peace from God; second -how to hold on to our peace in God. In verse 11 the first thing that is told to us is to turn away from our wickedness. In other words we are to get rid of our wicked ways; our wicked actions; and our wicked thoughts. As you read on it tells us to not only turn from it but to shun it. This means to avoid deliberately and especially habitually. Then the scripture gives what to put in the place of the wickedness; to do right.

Now this is where the wisdom comes in; the scripture says to search for peace, harmony, to search for peace from being disturbed with fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts. How are we to search for it? We are to seek it eagerly. We are to go looking for it with a mind to finding it. Earlier we were told by the word to let wickedness be put out of our lives; there is a reason for that. Before you read any further see if you can figure out why we are told to put wickedness out of our lives.

The reason is because there is no peace in wickedness. There is only confusion; heartache and misery. Only God can give peace, Satan is the one who gives confusion; heartache and misery. Everything that Satan offers us is through our involvement in this world. Let me give you an example: In this world we are told the more money we have the more possessions we can own; the more status we will have with others; the more power we will have. But what is not told is along with the possessions come debt and stress in trying to hold on to it all. The more status you have (which is a false status) you have stress in trying to keep up the appearance; not knowing if the people are impressed with you and your abilities or what they can get from you by appearing to be impressed. The power you think you have you do not know if the people respect you for you and your achievements or just because they have too. Plus you will always find yourself trying to keep up with or out do the “Mr. and Mrs. Doe” WHERE IS THE PEACE IN ALL OF THAT? It can’t be found because there is none; peace comes in when you live according to God’s word and instructions. The peace of God comes in through obedience, a spiritually sound mind, spiritual maturity. Matthew 6:33 (King James Version) says:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

The possessions, statues and power will come to you from God and by God for the purpose of God. But it is not just all about seeking there is some thing else that goes along with seeking peace; the word speaks on pursuing peace. That means not only search for but overtake it when you find it. Find a way to obtain peace. When there are no self inflected tests and trials placed in your life you know things you bring on yourself; the things you encounter that are permitted by God you can go through with ease. You may have had a situation going on in your life and a friend looked at you and said; I don’t know how you can be so calm about that. Or they may have said if it were me I would have done this or that. Chances are you were going through that situation with the peace of God. In verse 11 it’s encouraging us not to be satisfied with just wanting peace but look for it; go after it; and when you find it grab hold of it and don’t let it go.