“I am going to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.” (John 7:33)
Expanded Passage: John 7:33-36
One day we went to the zoo with our son’s family. We stopped to look at some animals. Suddenly, our little grandson was gone! We scrambled and raced throughout the zoo to find our precious little one. Panic was setting in. At last, we went to the zoo office. Our grandson was with a kind man who had brought him there to wait for us. We were so grateful that an honest person found him!
It is interesting that the people were concerned that Jesus said he was going to go away, and they would not be able to come find him. Perhaps, like my son’s family and I, they were afraid that they would lose Jesus forever. If we knew that our grandson would be missing for only a few minutes, would panic have set in? If the people of Jerusalem knew that Jesus would return, how differently would they have reacted?
Jeremiah 29:13 tells us: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” We must totally surrender, talk to Jesus, get to know him personally; in this way, we can be with him, even though he has gone to a place we cannot yet go. Let’s follow this example, seeking Jesus with our whole hearts to spend time with him, and take comfort that our separation is temporary.
Seek Jesus in your heart, knowing he draws near.
Jeannette Carroll is a retired Wesleyan pastor’s wife, a God-called teacher, writer, and musician. She resides in Florida.
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
