I was lost. I knew the store existed, but today I could find little proof. The first gas station attendant only knew enough English to tell me that I wasn't in Cleveland, I was in Akron. Thank you. At the next stop a lifetime resident had never heard of the store I was searching for.    

Finally I stopped at a Christian rescue mission downtown (a fitting place to find directions!) and was able to call the store, only to learn they had moved. Of course, I was miles from their original location anyway, but that didn't really matter at this point.

The good news is that the store actually had what my wife was looking for.

I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like seeking God is a bit like being lost in a big city. We know the truth is out there, but the next turn is difficult. Others have claimed that their search for God resulted in power, life, and meaning, so in faith, we jump into the car ourselves. We stop at a few spiritual gas stations and run into people who've never heard of what we're seeking, and others who don't even speak the language.

We want to know God, to love Him, to discover and explore His majesty, to encounter His goodness and experience His power. We want to seek Him, but how? Where? When? And why don't we feel as close to God as everyone promised?

Thankfully, in the midst of our "lostness," Jesus offers a promise: "He who seeks finds."

What does a spiritual seeker do?

• Looks for God. Evidence for God is everywhere: His creation, His church, His work in the world, His Word. Serious seekers don't settle for hearing about other people's divine encounters or rest in the knowledge that historical figures have obtained. They look. They search. They give God the same attention we would our lost keys on a behind-schedule morning.
• Uncovers Truth About God. Seekers are researchers of God. They give concentrated attention to learning, knowing, understanding, and discussing the character of our Creator. Like 49ers sure they are about to strike gold in the next shovelful, seekers dig deep into the Bible for truth.
• Journeys to New Places. Seekers are going somewhere. They aren't content to settle down. If there is more to know and experience of God, they will be out there, predictably, at the edge. Safe Christianity is, to a seeker, the epitome of oxymorons. For the Apostle Paul, Jerusalem would not do. Neither would Antioch, or Achaia, or Macedonia. He was out there on the edge, seeking the glory of God all the way to Rome! But then, as he told the Romans, he wanted Spain as well. Who knows? Had he lived long enough, he might have ended up preaching in Times Square.
• Focuses on the Objective. If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there. Not so for a serious seeker of God. Seekers may not have all the details, but they do have an objective. They want God. They won't be content with mere talk of a "personal relationship with God." They want the real thing. They plan for it. They head for it. If they get off-track, they get back on.
• Explores with Sacrificial Devotion. Seekers are willing to lay aside other things, even things that matter, for the sake of finding. As they seek God, they don't underestimate the level of sacrifice He will require. It will cost much. Much time. Much energy. Much money. Much reputation. Much self-indulgence. The price is denial of the secondary for the pursuit of the primary. What sacrifices he must make along the way, a seeker will not know ahead of time, but he will make them.
• Expects to Find Something. The joy of being a God-seeker is that there is something to find. Think of all the pursuits to which there is no finding, only emptiness. Think of those who serve pleasure, or money, or pride, or reputation, or possessions. At the very best, these can only offer something temporary, something ultimately unfulfilling. But God is real. God is there.

Perhaps all this begs a question, at a much more basic level.

What precisely is it that we seek?

God's face. I remember so distinctly falling in love with my wife. Somewhere between singles' socials and workplace gatherings, I "noticed." I found myself making sure I ended up where she was. I would look for her among the crowd. I would single her out even if all I could say was, "hello." After finally getting up the nerve to ask her to dinner, my "seeking" of her face became even more acute. Something of a passion, I suppose. (It still is.)

But I wonder: Can I look for God the same way I look for my wife?

Seeking God doesn't have to be any more complicated than this: "God, I want to know and love You. I now choose to intentionally seek You with all my heart." The fabled "personal relationship with God" promised by evangelists and gospel tracts is the heartbeat of any seeker. And, contrary to our unspoken doubts and secret wonders, such a relationship actually is possible. But it's not about Bible reading checklists or stopwatch prayer commitments. Seeking God's face is personal; it is an attitude of longing, willingness, and discontent with anything less than spiritual intimacy.

It's not wrong to seek God's power, peace, presence, or glory; but before anything else, we must resolve as David did in Psalm 27:8, "My heart says of you, 'Seek his face!' Your face, LORD, I will seek."

Why should I seek God?

1. The Bible commands it.

2. There is something find.

3. Nothing else really matters.

What barricades will seekers encounter?

If seeking God were easy, everyone would be doing it. But we have plenty of compelling reasons to give our lives to lesser things.

- Distractions. Seekers can be distracted by other things they find along the way to their objective, even good things. One reason I decided against having cable television in my home is not just the potential to see evil, but the potential to see so much good. I have enough things to do without 24-hour, surround-sound distractions. I could blow a whole Saturday afternoon watching news commentary or reruns of police shows. I can get plenty of entertainment via movies here and there, or heading for a friend's house, or something else. For you it may be something radically different. It may be something wonderful like a friendship, or a particular doctrinal position you enjoy studying, or (gasp) even participating in church activities. Be sure not to let temporary things rob you of a dynamic, contagious relationship with the Creator.

- Substitution. Could it be that seekers are often allured by the promise of other things? The siren songs of false satisfaction? We seek after God for spiritual intimacy, for the joy of Christ, for the purpose of life, and for so much more. But there are other, easier things that promise the same type of fulfillment. They don't deliver, but we have trouble remembering that. At least I know I do. Don't settle for a substitute, seeker! Look for the real thing, and don't give up until you find Him.

- Impatience. Sometimes we seekers don't lack desire, we lack patience. We want to know God, but only if it fits into our schedule. Don't lose the vision of what a life with God could be like. Be willing to put in the time and effort necessary to find it.

- Misconceptions. Sometimes we seek things that don't exist. We seek a god entirely different from the God of the Bible. When He doesn't meet our expectations, we stop seeking Him, or settle for deception. If your destination doesn't exist, no map, and no amount of honest seeking, can get you there.

- Weariness. It doesn't happen overnight. Finding God, that is. And it's not out of the question that you'll get tired along the road. You might encounter a long stretch, a time that some might call "dryness" and others might see as a valley between mountaintops. The daily spiritual exercises necessary to cultivate a deep relationship with God are just that-exercises.

How do I begin (and continue) a life of seeking God?

Dismantle the barricades. There was a time in Israel when the people had forsaken God. As a result the glory of the nation, the presence of God, had gone. After years of separation and darkness, the prophet Samuel offered the Israelites the option to seek God-to return for revival and restoration. His instruction: "If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve Him only" (1 Sam. 7:3). They had idols standing in the way of their relationship to God.

>> Perhaps you see barricades in your own life, be they obvious idols or the things like distraction, weariness, and impatience. Perhaps you've substituted something other than God as your source for soul-satisfaction, as the outlet for your passions. The first step toward seeking God is to repent. Do whatever you must to rid yourself of anything that stands as an excuse or hindrance to your God-seeking.

Decide to love God. That's right. Decide. Give Him your whole heart. Love isn't accidental. It takes intention, effort, desire, and time.

>> Make a list of things you do to express love to other people. How do you let your spouse know about your feelings? What do you do with your best friend? How do you treat your children? Begin to do those same things toward God. Give to Him. Spend time with Him. Read His letters. Tell others how much you love Him. Tell Him, too.

That's it. I'd add that we all need to read our Bibles and pray more, but you already know that. If seeking were more complicated, I could offer a more sophisticated prescription. But as I get honest with my own heart, I realize that my question is not what, how, or why to seek.

The question is when. When will I begin?

"One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: 
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD 
all the days of my life, 
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD 
and to seek him in his temple" (Psalm 27:4, all ref. NIV ).