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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Search Engine (10/06/11)
Waves crashed against the rocky shore tossing the search and rescue boat like a matchstick. The men hung on grimly, scanning the water through powerful binoculars. Valiantly the sturdy engine throbbed and pulsed with life, urging the sea to reveal the bobbing life jackets and raised hands of the bedraggled survivors so they could be hauled aboard before it was too late.

It made me think about God searching for us as Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost. He came to a dangerous place with no thought of his own life. He came as Redeemer, a servant, the sacrifice; he came in apparent weakness and allowed himself to be crucified. What a way to seek and to save!

He came in strength and power. The mighty engine of God’s heart throbs with love and eagerness as he searches out the lost. We are his hands and feet as we help rescue those he loves. Do we as a church have his vitality, his heart of love, to help him in this task? Are we actively searching out those who are in danger?

As God is searching for us, so he wants to find us searching for him, holding up our hands for rescue. Asa, King of Judah, was told by the prophet of God’s searching gaze - ‘For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.’¹

Zophar asked his good friend, Job, ‘Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens – what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave – what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.’² No earthly search engine like Google is powerful enough to probe God’s limits or understand his mysteries. No vast resource of internet knowledge like Wikipedia can tell us everything there is to know about God.

However, God promises that if we search for him with all our hearts, he will be found. What a mystery! God wants to be found by us, and known by us, although we will never fully fathom his mysteries or understand his ways.

Then as we find God we will be like the crew of the search and rescue boat, actively searching, ready for use at any time, alert and available to help our master in his search and rescue operation.


¹2 Chronicles 16:9 KJV
²Job 11:7-9 NIV
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This article has been read 744 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Marilyn Schnepp 
10/21/11
You hit the "subject" on the head! We are part of God's Search Team. He's been searching since "Day One", in every generation, ever since the world began - for those who will help in His search and rescue efforts to save the lost on Planet Earth. Writers are a welcome part of His Search Engine, as we can reach many people in many lands. (One big boo-boo! You forgot to ALWAYS Capitalize "Him and He" etc. when speaking of the Almighty.) Nice job. I enjoyed the read.
C D Swanson 
10/21/11
Brilliantly done! I loved this entry. Clever way of bringing the topic into play.

I will add that when using our Lord's name, it is always capitalized-even when using "He," and "Him."

Other than that - great job, fantastic message. Amen.

God Bless~
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
10/22/11
I like the analogy and thought it was well-written. However, I think you thought too far out-of-the-box. In the message boards, they warned against using an engine that searched. Though it has a great message I think it might rate lower with the judges because of the topic criterion. But you did a nice job with the story and it had a clear message.
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
10/22/11
I don't read other comments before I comment. I wanted to talk about capitalizing the words he and his. I believe as long as you are consistent throughout it is acceptable to do it either way. Because the word always was in capitals I thought maybe you were inconsistent, but I reread it and the only time you capitalized he was at the beginning of a sentence. It is a personal preference :)
Jan Ackerson
10/22/11
Your strength was #3 (craft, predictability). Your writing skills are strong, and I enjoyed reading this (the pronoun issue is by no means a given; Christian publishers tend NOT to capitalize pronouns for God.)

I'd say that your weakness was #1 (on topic). You wrote about several types of searching, and even mentioned engines, but didn't really touch on 'search engine'.

Another strength was #4 (beginning). You started with a strong image for your reader--definitely a way to hook them and make them want to keep reading.
Lois Farrow
10/22/11
Thanks everyone for your very helpful comments.
Capitalizing - I used to always capitalize He and Him, but deliberately choose not to these days, following the example of the Bible.
But if it is FaithWriters policy, or preferred by FaithWriters authors to do so, then I am happy to change back again.
Linda Goergen
10/23/11
I liked all of this but my favorite was paragraph five, especially liked No earthly search engine like Google is powerful enough to probe God’s limits or understand his mysteries. No vast resource of internet knowledge like Wikipedia can tell us everything there is to know about God. Oh that is so, so true!! Sometimes it is mind boggling when you sit and dwell on all God is and does! LOL I agree that just the “searching” theme is weak on topic, but you certainly presented a great message, with great visuals, woven around searching and I enjoyed the read!
Edmond Ng
10/28/11
A nicely written devotional. I like the way you describe the throbbing heart of God searching out the lost with love and eagerness, and then put across the questions for us to examine ourselves. Well done!
Mildred Sheldon
10/31/11
Thank you for a very interesting take on the subject, but like you I didn't use computers as search engines. I loved your story. It was heart warming.