Spring 2001
Our Motives In Seeking God
Walter H. Beuttler

The objective reason for seeking God is that we were created to do so. We were not created for ourselves, but for His glory. God, as creator, is fully entitled to derive pleasure and satisfaction from His creatures. His greatest happiness comes from our expression of delight in Him. Because there is joy in the presence of the angels whenever one sinner repents, it is evident that our Lord's happiness can be increased by men seeking after Him.

The subjective reason for seeking God is that we need Him. We were created by Him, and without Him, man is incomplete and entirely devoid of true happiness.

One time, we experienced an outpouring of the Spirit in the midst of our class discussion. Nearly all the students rose from their seats, with hands raised in worship, and joined in a tremendous volume of praise. After this came a thrilling utterance in prophecy, expressing the Lord's cognizance of our praise and His great delight in the same.

It was an electrifying message and resulted in another mighty crescendo of worship, during which, one of the students received the Baptism in the Holy Ghost.

“Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for
His wonderful works to the children of men.” Psalm 107:8.

In seeking the Lord, we must not get the idea that He will reward us for our effort, in the sense that we will be repaid for the time and sacrifice (so called) involved. This and similar mistakes are made frequently. The fact is that we are not rewarded for doing any such things.

“And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep,
will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at
once and sit down to eat'? But will he not rather say to him,
'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve
me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and
drink'?

“Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were
commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have
done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are
unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to
do.'" Luke 17:7-10 NKJV.

There is a reward, to be sure. But the regard is not to the seeker, that God repays him for seeking Him, or for going to Church. This is man's duty - "His reasonable service." (Romans 12:1-2). The reward of the seeker is that by seeking the Lord, he makes it possible for the Lord to do for him that which He could not otherwise do for him.

The rightly motivated seeker will not simply desire to feel better. Rather, he will want to be better. He will not merely seek blessing; he will seek the Blessor. Even where our motives and objectives are faulty, the Lord attempts to meet us, and for this reason, He will first put His finger on things that are out of harmony with His holiness.

In this fact, we should find one of our greatest encouragements, as it means the Lord is responding to our seeking Him; and the sooner we respond in obedience to whatever He may require of us, the sooner we will obtain our objective.

As we continue with His response, we shall find to our great delight in the materialization of the glorious promise,

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search
for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says
the LORD…” Jeremiah 29:13-14a. NKJV.