“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” ― A.W. Tozer
Dot & I, with two of our sons, just returned from spending 6 wonderful days at the beach. Since 1982 we have been going to the same stretch of seashore located between Jacksonville and St. Augustine. It has been a great place for taking a stroll as we search for any treasures that might have been deposited as the tides came in and went out, letting ourselves feel the power of the surf as sets of endless waves roll in, or just sitting, relaxing and watching as sea eagles and pelicans glide effortlessly above the water. There is something about the seashore that resets all of our internal rhythms and calms our souls.
On our very first trip down to this stretch of beach, we noticed that the home where we were staying, had a really nice crystal bowl, shaped like a fish and it had literally hundreds of shark’s teeth inside it. My first thought was that they had purchased the teeth somewhere. I was told that the teeth had been collected from the shell beds on the beach outside. Like most people, I had been going to the beach since I was a child and I had never found a shark’s tooth. In fact, I grew up on the Gulf Coast and I had never seen any. What unfolded over the next thirty-eight years was a seek and find mission that resulted in us acquiring somewhere around 13,000 shark’s teeth. This past trip we found a little over 400 teeth. (Most of those were found by our son Daniel, who has GREAT eyesight and an even greater determination to be the ‘Top Shark Tooth Finder’.)
When we tell people that we find shark’s teeth at the beach the typical response is, “I have never seen one or found one at the beach.” or “There aren’t any at the beaches we go to.” It is almost guaranteed that they are there, but they are not obvious. The fact is, they are hidden in plain sight. Finding shark’s teeth is not really a skill, although we like to think that we are pretty good at it. The truth is it requires two things: (1) Focus & (2) Persistence.
This past week, as my son and I were searching for shark’s teeth and other sea treasures I told my son that there is a real correlation between finding shark’s teeth and seeking the Lord. Think about it. We know there are sharks in the water. Once you find that first tooth, you know there are more there to be found. Like us they are all unique. No two are the same. They come in different shapes and sizes and colors. But finding sharks teeth can be difficult. It can be tedious. It will wear you out physically. There are more enjoyable things you can do at the beach than bend over a pile of shells, with the sun beating down on you. You can get to the point where you are tired of looking. Knowing there is a God and seeking Him are two different things. Even though we know He is there, too often people are distracted by other things and they fail to see or seek a God who is literally everywhere and in everything. Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT) says it very simply, “If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me.” It is not casual. It is focused and determined seeking that results in finding a God who is hidden in plain sight.
If we don’t look, if we don’t seek Him out, we miss out on the reward. I hope that you are all staying healthy and well. I pray that God will be with you and your families. Happy Hunting!
In Christ's love,
Pastor John