The Sovereign Seeker

“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a “sinner.”’ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.’” (Luke 19:1-10, NIV).

We believe that there is a need for us to seek God. And I hope we also realize the great value when we are seeking God.

But do we realize and believe that even before the thought of seeking Him came to one’s mind, He had already determined to seek for His own who are lost? In fact, Jesus Christ came in order not to be sought, but “to seek…”!

About more than two months ago, I experienced being sought by an aunt, I’ve never met for more than 36 years.

She is now living in Los Angeles, California. She requested a friend who came to the Philippines to look for me (who is living in one of the economically depressed region of the country). Her friend who happened to be a friend also of my father, when he was still alive, did not stop his search until I was found.

When I met him, I found it hard to believe that there was someone in America who was looking for me! Besides, when he mentioned the name of my aunt, it was not familiar to me – I just knew her by her nickname and I didn’t know the family name of her husband.

As the man proceeded to relate things that I might know my aunt – describing her and adding more and more information about her – and at the same time proving that he knew my father, I was finally “convinced” that my father had a sister in Los Angeles and who wanted to find me.

What a wonderful feeling to be sought and to find out that I have an aunt in U.S.!

Within a month, I received a call from her. The excitement and gladness in her voice were also in my heart when I found out that though she is already 78 years old, she is still working to spread the Word of God! Afterwards, I also received a letter from her and, perhaps, next year she would be able to come to my place.

However, consider the Excellence of the Sovereign Seeker -- the Glorious God. We read Ezekiel 34:11-16 in the New King James Version:

“For thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,’ says the Lord GOD. I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment."

Notice very well verses 11-12 and part of verse 16:

“For thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.’” “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick…”