The Seekers – A word by M. Russell Thomas, PhD

Last year while in a time of prayer and fasting, I received an invitation. It was the Holy Spirit asking for me to give him 3 days to write a book. I’ve written a number books but none in 3 days…not even close. As the 3 days approached, the message became clear: I want My people to Seek Me. I’ve placed within people a seeker gene and I want it activated! As I began to seek the Lord about this (had to practice what I’m preaching!), I learned that the Hebrew language has two words that are translated as seeker or to seek. The first, darash, carries the meaning of looking carefully or diligently for someone. Scripture uses darash in Jeremiah 29:13 when God says,

…you will find Me…when you shall seek for Me with all your heart.

The second type of seeking, bakash, connotes that one wants something. Bakash is used in Genesis 31:39 when Jacob says to Laban that he bakashes something from him to cover the cost of defective lambs, i.e., seeking restitution. So in a simplified way, darash seeks someone while bakash seeks something from someone. Both meanings are important to understand God’s invitation to seek Him.

A closer look at Jeremiah 29:13 reveals something a little more profound. Interestingly, God uses both words to invite us to seek Him. The first, and you shall seek Me, is bakash. Your need causes you to seek something from God. It could be money, healing, shelter, food, self-esteem, a spouse…the list goes on. Our quest to meet these needs causes bakashing. We seek to meet that need. Jeremiah 29:13 starts with, and you shall ‘bakash’ Me.

But keep reading and we find that God uses a different word when he says, when you search (seek) for Me with your whole heart. Now the word is darash. Darash is much more relational. One isn’t looking just for the provision but for the one who provides. Darash reflects a deeper need for connection. To understand the difference, consider the following story.

You are getting a late start to take your wife out for your 20th anniversary celebration, and you can’t find your car keys! You’ve been setting the stage for weeks. You made reservations at the fancy restaurant where you once proposed marriage…the same spot you’ve taken her for 20 straight years! Your wife looks beautiful as ever in her new dress and she’s glowing. She’s waiting patiently in the car…and you…CAN’T FIND THE STINKIN’ CAR KEYS! You’ve look everywhere. You started with the common places and then the secondary spots. You’ve turned over couch cushions, looked under beds, and turned every pants pocket in your closet inside out trying to find those keys. The feelings of romance have dissipated into frustration. Your mind is racing. You just know in your heart that she’s going to be disappointed with you. And then…you make the dreaded step. Even though you know that your wife is not the kind that will complain or nag, nevertheless, your mind is going wild. Its not her, its you. You can’t get performance out of your mind and you’ve convinced yourself that you’ve blown it.

Waving the white flag of defeat, you go to the car to deliver the bad news. You hang your head simply seeking grace. That is bakashing grace. Your wife looks at you, steps out of the car, straightens her dress, takes you by the hand, and leads you into the house. You’re mind convinces you she just doesn’t want to make a scene at the end of your quiet cul-de-sac!

You dare not ask questions as she leads you straight to the kitchen and sits you down at the kitchen table. By now, the sun is setting and while she walks to the switch that cuts off the main light over the kitchen table, your mind begins to run wild once more as you think, “she wants it dark, so there are no witnesses!” Instead, without a word, she reaches into the freezer where she emerges with…fish sticks and tater tots! You convince yourself this is certainly passive-aggressive behavior and that she’s merely holding back the tsunami of emotions that, with one false move on your part, will spontaneously trigger an eruption of Katie Kaboom proportions! Or even worse, she’ll go silent, leaking out her disappointments here and there, inciting guilt upon guilt. Either way, you’re stuck on the fact that you can’t deliver the perfect night to your beautiful bride. But then…

She places the fish sticks and tater tots on a pan and pops them in the oven before quietly making her way back to the kitchen table. She’s got something in her hand. Something elongated. Your imaginations are running wild because you know the cutlery set is located on that side of the counter top. She dims the lights and now you think you know why! As she gets to the kitchen table, from behind you, she stretches her hand towards your back. You, in turn, begin reciting The Lord’s Prayer and resign yourself that this might not be such a bad way to go! To your relief she passes by your shoulder and extends something to the middle of the table. It’s a candle! And she carefully places it in the middle of the table and, with a lighter held in the offhand…methodically lights it. The dim light of

the candle somehow conveys a soothing ambience that you’ve long since given up on seeing this particular evening.

And then, your wife leans in, places her hands atop yours, looks you in the eyes and says,

…I just wanted to be with you!

She smiles at you like she did 20 years ago to this very night, leans in, kisses you and says,

I love you!

…and you, my friend, have just been darashed!

You bakashed (sought) the keys. You, bakashed (sought) the fancy dining complete with valor parking, a nice meal brought to you by finely dressed servers, and concierge services that beckon to your every need. You even bakashed her forgiveness earlier in this evening…but she darashed (sought) you! And just like that, all your neurotic anxieties, vain imaginations, and insecurities disappear in the presence of her love. The intimacy, the joy of being connected and the sense of well-being completely overshadows the fact that you just lost a $100 deposit and broke the 20-consecutive-year streak of being in that same restaurant on your anniversary. But it doesn’t matter. This is what you really sought. This is what your soul desired all along.

So it is with our Father. We bakash Him for many things. But the real payoff comes when we darash Him for one thing. Suddenly the hands fall from His face and the delight of His presence is realized. This is the moment that you really sought. The keys to the car don’t matter. They never did. It is the moment of His presence that lets you know you’re home. You sought with bakash but you found with darash. This, my friends, is the invitation of God to seek Him.

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