Questions

"Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near." Isaiah 55:6. Are there times when the Lord is not near? Are there times he can't be found? Verse 1 says, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Do we have to be thirsty to find him? How do you know when you've found him?

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13. What does it mean to "seek" God? Is it the same for everyone?

Scripture tells us what we're not to be seeking: Even Jesus says he did not seek to please himself but to please God. (Mark 5:30) We're not to seek our own good but the good of others. (I Corinthians 10:24) We're not to seek miraculous signs. (Mark 8:12)

What does God want? What is best for others? Am I content with God's way of responding to my prayer? Am I seeking God himself or what he can do for me or give me?

Hidden treasure

Paul tells why he's writing to the church in Colossians 2:2,3. "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. "

One thing I've learned in my advanced age is that women need women--to share our hopes and joys and acknowlege our shortcomings. We find out others have the same struggles and we save each other from despair. I need you! So my purpose for this blog is for us to encourage each other, to know the love Jesus has for us and to have the full riches of complete understanding. (As much as is possible for ordinary folk.) The key is Jesus, our source of wisdom and knowledge. How do we find this hidden treasure? More importantly, how do we find him?

Mining for wisdom

Job compares mining to searching for wisdom. "There is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore. Man puts an end to the darkness; he searches the farthest recesses for ore in the blackest darkness. Far from where people dwell he cuts a shaft, in places forgotten by the foot of man... Sapphires come from its rocks, and its dust contains nuggets of gold...He tunnels through the rock; his eyes see all its treasures. He searches the sources of the rivers and brings hidden things to light. But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?" Job concludes the chapter by saying, "The fear of the Lord--that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding." Job 28. Fear: respect and reverence for God, to be in awe of his majesty and power. Are you wise?

Here I am, a copper miner's daughter, searching for treasures from the heart of God. My dad went to work every morning under the desert sands of southern Arizona, light strapped to his head. His work was dirty but he developed an appreciation for gems, collecting them, polishing them, making jewelry from them.

Let's go down deep and bring hidden things to light. But the gems we unearth are meant to be shared. Yours, too! The public nature of this format is difficult for me. Also, I am an edit fanatic. For me, there is no such thing as a finished product. But whatever I find, rough as it is, I will bring it here. You decide if it is valuable to you or not. Most likely, it will need a lot of polishing.

Hold me accountable to keep digging. God's treasury is never empty. I think as long as I keep writing, he will keep giving.