Jesus Christ said, “Seek, and you will find” (Matt. 7:7, RSV). This is a dual promise.
Sometimes when praying for healing we might do a lot of seeking: seeking more understanding, insight, or inspiration. And at times, without realizing it, we might stay in a seeking mode where we keep seeking more understanding, insight and inspiration.
There is nothing wrong with seeking. It enlarges our perspective and helps us see spiritual truths that bring healing. But at some point, we need to realize the second part of Jesus’ promise too.
He didn’t say “Seek.” He instructed, “Seek, and you will find!”
We don’t just seek. We find! We do both.
If you ever feel like you’re stuck in a routine of seeking, perhaps it’s time to remind yourself that it’s time to do some finding.
Help speed up the healing by knowing the truth you seek is present to find. Rest assured that you don’t have to keep seeking forever.
Seek…and find!! It’s a dual promise. The two come as a package deal.
Yes! Acknowledging “everpresent wholeness’ – As Jesus did before healing people. He thanked God.
That is wonderful `Evan . The mortal sense of life would try and convince us that we lack what is already given us of `God and is ALREADY ours and so keep us from enjoying the fruits of our seeking . A shift of perspective is needed if we find ourselves in this stage of developing awareness . Is it humility that is needed to see and accept our already present oneness with God , good ? “ Wait patiently for divine Mind to move upon the waters of mortal mind and form the perfect concept “ Mrs Eddy tells us . It is Mind that does the moving and Love that does the fulfilling , ( not human effort ) and THAT is already here and now .and with us .
Thank you so much, Evan, for the instruction to be moved by our prayer, (and not just run on the spot – I hold up my hand).
Two poems by Frances A Fox appeared in consecutive issues of the Journal – September and October 1888; the first ‘Seeking’, the second ‘Finding’; (attributed to F. A. F.)
The ‘Finding’ poem became the much loved hymn 154. The hymnal notes include the final verse of the poem which is left out in the hymn; it’s of note that this verse ends both the Seeking and the Finding poems, it reads:
Thy grace is all sufficient for me,
Thy precious Life a perfect light,
No evil thought can come before Thee;
Thy Mind is pure, Thy home is bright.
That’s really good , Idea – I’m going to make sure I don’t just “ run on the spot “
Can’t make any progress doing that !
Thank you Idear for your comments and sharing the final verse of the poem, which to me is a short sweet prayer itself.
I have always enjoyed pondering the verse “My grace is sufficient for thee” (11 Cor 12:9)
I looked up the other poem you referred to:
SEEKING – F. A. F.
From Sep 1888 CSJ
Oh grant, dear Lord, this prayer to me,
That I may know the Truth in Thee;
Onward, through night, I seek the Way,
Guide Thou my steps to perfect day.
Oh may I know that I am Thine,
Thine own pure thought, oh Truth divine.
Thy Light, Thy Love, shall conquer strife,
And give me peace in Thee, my Life.
Followed, as you say, by the verse you gave us.
I learn such a lot on this forum – thank you Evan and all for your inspiring helpful comments.
Love
Thank you Rubi and Idear. I love the line shared from the Seeking poem that affirms we are “Thine own pure thought.” Wonderful to know that each of us is God’s own pure thought. He reflects Himself as us – so we are well, cared for, loved, free of lack, unchanging. And if we are His thought then we’re definitely not material, because thought is not matter.
Thank you Idear! Between Evan’s post and then your comment I realized I’ve been running on the spot – constantly focusing on making progress without remembering fruition and the the expectation of good/results. I’m so grateful for both Evan’s posts and all the wonderful commentators. We learn so much from each other.
Thank you Evan, and WandaUk – – thia is al very helpful.
The following hymn 229 came to me which reminds me that we have to know where to seek. We don ‘t seek outside ourselves, but
within our own consciousness. – because we reflect the divine
consciousness of Love. The second line of the second verse
says it.
O Love divine, whose constant beam
Shines on the eyes that will not see,
And waits to bless us while we dream,
Nor leav’st us though we turn from Thee.
Nor bounds, nor clime, nor creed Thou know’st,
Wide as our need Thy favors fall;
The white wings of the Holy Ghost
Stoop unseen o’er the heads of all.
O Truth which sage and prophet saw,
Long sought without, but found within,
The rule of Love beyond all law,
The Life o’ercoming death and sin,
O shine on us with light which glowed
Upon the waiting shepherds’ way,
Who saw the darkness overflowed
With tides of everlasting day.
Oh Maggie, those first 2 lines say it all, Thank you ❣️
Beautiful!
Thank you, Evan, this is a reminder that I am very grateful for tonight. I do think I seek and seek and seek. Perhaps if I learn to stop and listen more, I will find.
❣️❣️
What about our Leaders Poem Mothers Evening Prayer, Seeking and finding
❣️❣️
Hi Grace, thank you. Here’s the verse you referred to from Mother’s Evening Prayer:
Beneath the shadow of His might wing;
In that sweet secret of the narrow way,
Seeking and finding, with the angels sing,
“Lo, I am with you alway,” – watch and pray.
Evan said above, “Help speed up the healing by knowing the truth you seek is present to find.” That caught my attention and made me think of this part of Hymn 527 which I love:
“Lord, … open his eyes, that he may see,”
The mighty prophet prayed.
Send not armies great and strong,
Neither strength to battle wrong,
But lift his vision to behold
Your truth already here.
Lift his vision to behold Your truth already here, means we have a right to know our good is already and always present, and we ask to have our vision lifted higher (above any false mortal picture) to see it. So maybe that contains both the seeking and the finding.
Thank you so much, Evan.
Yes, all so helpful.
Thinking… What relief to realize
God sure has never lost us!
Could the Sun “lose” its Rays?
Let’s feel held, watched-over, beloved, protected…
in every possible way!
Amen to that SpiritViewFan! Very comforting.
I appreciate the way you share in a concise yet meaningful way. That is a skill I would like to master.
Your shares are always skillful and helpful, Rose. Appreciate all that
you add to these comments.
Thank you very much dear Angel. I appreciate your kindness, and your comments as well.
I stumbled upon hymn 197
Now sweeping down the years untold , the day of Truth is breaking; and sweet and fair the leaves unfold, of Love’s immortal waking.
For flower and Fruitage now are seen, where blight and mildew rested: the Christ to-day to us has been by word and deed attested.
His living presence we have felt, the word made flesh among us: and hearts of stone before him melt, His peace is brooding o’er us.
It brought me to Gen.1:2,3
Gen. 1-2
And the earth was without form , and void,; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters
The spiritual interpretation in part saysIn S&Hp 523:10-15
In the universe of Truth, matter is unknown. No supposition of error enters there. Divine Science, the Word of God, saith to the darkness upon the face of error, “God is all-in-all,” and the light of ever-present Love illumines the universe.
Gen. 1-3
And God said, Let there be light and there was light.
S&Hp 523:20:21
Immortal and divine Mind presents the idea of God: first, in light, second, in reflection, third, in spiritual and immortal forms of beauty and goodness.
This post helps me see that here it is in two verses the seeking and the finding. We don’t have to read through chapters and chapters. We are given a truth and we can stick with it and see the effect of that truth.
Thank you Evan and all for the inspiration
I am reminded of a children’s game – Hide and Seek. When we are
innocent, like young children, we seek love and comfort and find it
in so many varying ways. Very young children will hide their face
and eyes and think that no one can see them because they can’t
see. This is a rather self – thought process, like when they think the
sun is following them, personally. But with God/Mind, our being is
One with Spirit and our perception of the world becomes more in tune
with harmony and what we are seeking becomes more endearing as we
discover the good that is all around us in One grand brotherhood and
sisterhood of our Father/Mother God. We become more aware of others
and like with children in parallel play, they discover how getting along with
others is a more joyful activity – a shared awakening of seeking and finding.
Thank you Carol for your comments.
The innocence and simplicity that children express is a huge example for me. A friend’s son will role play being at the store, preschool, office, etc. When he is complete with staging his set up, he’ll say, “and I have everything that I need!”. When my friend was sharing this, the spiritual significance of that declaration struck me. We already have everything that we need! This is the finding part.
Yes, J and Thank you. Children, especially very young children
are so close to God, “mentally”, like Jesus said for us to be like
little children.
They are usually very uninhibited in ways mortal thinking tends
to create in adult’s thinking, who have years of training us to
believe as we often do. But in “reality” time is not an issue, so
the past that has seemed to have taught us what we know, can
be desolved, if it hasn’t been helpful in our progress in thought.
Thank you Evan and all commenters. I love to study but it was made clear to me as an onslaught of challenges hit that using what I learned and seeing God’s laws in operation was the best lesson. Just read an excellent article about Jonah and the whale from our early periodicals that truly opened up a bigger viewpoint and understanding of being obedient to God (and it was such a relief to any sense of burden in being obedient!).
https://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1893/12/11-9/perhaps-one-of-the-least-understood-of-the-old-testament
Wonderful advice, Thankyou Evan
And hymn #194
I love this idea of seeking.
No mortal sense can still or stay
The flight of silent prayer,
Unceasing, voiceless, heart-desire
That seeks God everywhere
I’m smiling because I used to call myself a seeker and I’m thinking now I’ll change it to “finder”! 🙂 Thanks as always Evan and Everyone.