WFTD: “Seek” –Why God is a better search engine.

The word for the day (WFTD) is “seek” (darash). It is found in Isa. 55:6:

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Isa.  55:6

Additionally, consider these verses as part of a unit important to the study of seek. They answer the question why we need to seek God now:

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. 55: 8

“My word will not return void…” 55: 11

Exposition: Seek means “search”. Think of God as the “Grand Google.” There you can find the highest thoughts, plans and ideas, unquestionably higher than yours.

Backstory: God’s people had resorted to using lesser search engines (gods) like Baal—the “Bing” Of the day—lower, lesser, unreliable. Verse 55:11 gives us the reason why God is a better search engine, if you will. His word never returns empty, void, or inadequate. Never will you get this response as you would in some search engines: “No results found.” The context—the surrounding verses—is the best content for a backstory. These verses are a unit of verses that have to be included together in the study of the meaning or central truth of the text.

Application: Search and seek God and His Word while Windows is open. It’s a pun to illustrate the urgency and efficacy of His software (the Holy Spirit) on your software, your responsibility to “study to show yourself approved, rightly dividing the word of truth… (II Tim 2:15).” In a time when man’s words return void, now is the time for a better search—God’s word which never returns the response: “No results found.” But you’ve got to key it in rightly.

“Word-to-Grow-By (WTGB) is taking a break from the normal long-form Bible study format and will now, for a brief time, go to a shorter, word-focused format I call WFTD (Word for the Day). Think of it as “TikTok” for your devotional—short, sweet and simple (but no less trustworthy to the text). Each WFTD will have an exposition, a backstory, and an application. The goal is to get you in and out the door with an encouraging word with the goal of you growing in doing your own bible study.

The next step in your Scripture devotional growth through WFTD is to do your own Exposition, Backstory and Application. Ask yourself from your bible readings: (1) What does it mean? That is exposition. (2) Next, what is the historical context? What was going on when the text was written? That’s backstory. Add to your backstory study the concept of verses as units—a grouping of surrounding verses taken together to give light to the right meaning of the verse. To disregard units is equivalent to bible study malpractice, hermeneutical hacking. We want to get it right. (3) Finally, what am I to do from the “meaning”? It’s personalized and practical, doable. That is application. Jot down your answers, one short sentence for each. Keep it in a journal. Don’t worry about getting it right-right. The Holy Spirit will take care of that in due time. For now, it is the habit of “doing” that matters, that will promote bible study growth. Because Scripture is “God breathed” inspiration, begin each devotion with prayer for His Holy Spirit’s assistance.

Trust the process. Remember: Feed a man a fish, he eats for that day. Teach a man how to fish rightly and he eats every day. That’s what WFTD is seeking. Enjoy the fishing.