“God, where are You?” “I need You.” “I want You.” “How can I find You?” Is this the sincere cry of your heart? Is your whole being reaching, searching, longing for God? But somehow you do not seem to find Him.
You are not alone in your search. Men everywhere and in every age have asked for God. Two thousand years ago the rich young ruler came running to Jesus and asked, “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17). When Peter preached at Pentecost, men asked, “What shall we do?” or “How can we find God?” The prevailing unrest of our turbulent world today is its unvoiced cry for God and his love.
All humans need to find God. Our hearts will be restless until they rest in Him. No other way can peace of mind and rest of soul be experienced than to find God and walk with Him. Jesus says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
We can better understand our need for God when we realize we were made by Him and for Him. None of us are fashioned exactly alike; yet all of us are made in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). We are created with living souls that long to be in harmony with our Creator. “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God” (Psalm 42:1-2). Only the living God will satisfy the living soul of man!
The psalmist David summed up his innermost feeling by saying, “I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). God satisfied his need. David was contented because he knew the peace that comes only when creature and Creator have met. “For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness” (Psalm 107:9).
God is real. Even though you don’t see, understand, or find Him, this does not alter the fact that He was, now is, and always will be. There is a God! Never doubt it. Believe firmly in his existence and have confidence that He loves you.
God is everywhere!
Jesus told the woman at Jacob’s well that God is a Spirit and can be found any place, anywhere, and any time. He does not confine Himself to a remote, out-of-reach heaven; nor does He limit Himself to places of worship. You can find Him on the mountain, in the valley, in the sky, on the sea, in your home, or any other place. At this very moment He surrounds you.
Jacob, a man of God, said, “Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not” (Genesis 28:16). Often, we too, are so engrossed with the earthly things of life that even though He is near us, we “know it not.” We are expecting some dramatic encounter with Him and fail to recognize Him in the still small voice within (1 Kings 19:9-13). We must stop, look, and listen; and then in faith we will see, hear, and understand.
You don’t need to grope around in the dark looking for God. He is not hiding from you; He is waiting for you. Long before you started out on your search to find Him, He was waiting for you to seek Him. He wants you in his eternal family where He can love and care for you in a very personal way. Do you feel empty, restless, guilty, lost, or afraid to die? This is God calling you because He does not want you to be lost. This may be your first call or your final one. “To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart” (Psalm 95:7-8).
All have sinned. “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). Since God is holy, He hates sin. As we come into God’s presence, we are moved to deal with our sins in the way He has taught us in his Word. Living a good moral life will never atone for our sins or be sufficient for our salvation. True repentance will turn us from our sins.
In his great love, God made a way for us to find Him. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Christ is the way to God! Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). When the jailer asked, “What must I do to be saved?” the apostle Paul answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30-31).
When Nicodemus inquired of the way of salvation, Jesus told him, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Like Nicodemus, do you ask how this can be? To be born again is to receive Jesus, the Son of God, as your Savior. As you feel God’s tender love, you will feel sinful and unclean before Him. Jesus’s loving sacrifice for your sins causes a deep sorrow in your heart. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
As you believe, you are able to surrender your will to God in a full commitment. You receive a new heart, and God’s Holy Spirit leads you to deny yourself and turn away from sin. You feel peaceful and close to God. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2).
Do you truly want to find Him and walk with Him? The choice is yours—and yours alone. You have nothing to lose, and all to gain. If you will stop, turn your face, and move toward God, you will find Him. A seeking soul and a seeking Savior always meet! When you find God, the source of life, He will give you a new life, a new heart, and a will to follow Him. All things will become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Pray to God. Ask Him to forgive you. Tell Him you are tired of your sins and you wish to follow Him wherever He will lead you. The peace of God awaits you as you follow through in obedience.