The story of Ruth is an example of the faith that seeks. Ruth was a Moabitess who found faith in the God of Israel and also had been joined by marriage to a family from the tribe of Judah. Her husband's family came to soujourn in the land of Moab. As for her, once she was joined to this family, she belonged to the family -- unlike this generation of women who always take the easy way out of a marriage problem by divorce. Ruth refused to divorce the family after her husband died and her brother-in-law and father-in-law also died in Moab, leaving only the women. The other wife left at the suggestion of Naomi, the mother-in-law, but not Ruth. Naomi said "Behold thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods; return thou after thy sister-in-law. But Ruth said: "Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God, my God; where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me." (Ruth 1:15-17). In her heart she had found a family and the true God. Ruth might not have known what she was seeking, but her feet had been set on the road that she would follow, and nothing would turn her back! In the end, she became the grandmother of Jesse the father of king David, through whose line the Messiah came to the world. (Mat.1:5, Ruth 4:17). Faith that seeks, often times, is seen as an indirect application of faith.
I was told by the Lord to move to America in 1980. I was economically comfortable in my country, working as an engineer. I lived in a government-provided 3 bedroom house, and had a good salary. I also had a little ministry of evangelism. When the Lord told me to move, I terminated my employment, sold my properties, my car and every other thing and packed only a briefcase to travel away to America. After passing through tough times while trying to get the permit to work, I ended up going back to school for my master's degree at Arizona State University. I graduated in 1983 and obtained temporary permit to work for practical training for six months. What I was really seeking was the immigrant visa to sojourn in the land, until the next instruction comes from the Lord. Therefore when we talk about the faith that seeks, our "seeking" may be with physical efforts, yet trusting that "our help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth". (Psa.121:2). After my graduation from ASU, I got an employer who planned to hire me for six months, but on the first day of the job, he told me he had decided to hire me permanently. I hoped he would help me to obtain the visa only to be disappointed later. At the end of the six months, he changed his mind because of the market conditions and terminated my employment. However the faith that seeks will keep on seeking. About a month later, I got another employer who hired me and this one decided to obtain the immigrant visa for me. I was able to extend my practical training permit for another six months to work for this new employer. Even though I had an employer who was willing to file the papers for me to obtain the required immigrant status, there was disappointment on the way and the process was extremely prolonged, spanning two years. I always will not start any physical procedure without constant prayer for it to succeed. But sometime, the Lord allows things to go through the longer route, either due to the enemy's intrusion or due to our human errors or God's providence. But always, the Lord will get glory out of it when the victory is finally won. For example, God told Moses that Pharaoh would not let the hebrews go willingly: "I have harden his heart and the heart of his servants that I might show these my wonders." (Ex. 10:1) When God allows a situation to turn sour and his miracle-hand finally wins a victory for his people, we can always look back and see that there is a purpose for the delay in God's plan. Yea, "all things work together for good to them that love God". (Rom.8:28). We started the visa process in 1984. There were three stages of approval required; The first stage, which was the labor certification, was successful. The second stage, which was the employer's petition was denied for some flimsy reasons. We appealed and the appeal was turned down. I was asked to prove the sixth year work-experience which I listed in my application, which I had 8 years before (in 1976), with documentary evidence. I had to write to the company I worked for to send an affidavit that I worked for them for the one year. It is hard for any company to keep record for 8 years of an employee who only worked for one year with the company, especially in a country where documents were not yet computerized. Fortunately, I described myself quite well so that the old-timers in the company remembered me, and since the company only had one instance of hiring an electrical engineer (myself), the affidavit finally came one year after I had requested for it. However before the letter arrived, the process for deportation had started. As I said above, the faith that seeks never gives up in the face of disappointments.This testimony is written so as to teach how faith must hang in tough, even when things turn sour. During this time my employer was also going through financial problems, therefore the employer will rather not be bothered with a foreigner's problem. About a month after I had received the letter of denial to the appeal, I was praying about what I should do next, and in the night, the Lord gave me a positive vision. I saw myself in the vision that I obtained the visa. That gave me courage. However in the morning, the letter from the immigration office arrived in the mail instructing me that "in lieu of the rejection of my applications for immigrant visa, I was given 60 days to depart from the country, and to notify the office when I do". Now anyone who knows the ways of the Lord will point out that the vision I received the night before this negative letter came to me was from the Lord to boost my faith and not to worry about the letter. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning". Remember this: God is not shaken by events! He is Almighty! For example, when the hebrews were to cross the Jordan river under Joshua's leadership, the bible recorded that it was at the time when river Jordan overflowed its bank. (Josh.3:15). Human reasoning would have suggested that the people should wait till the river level is low before attempting to cross. But God's faith works many times against the course of nature. Therefore it was no surprise for the Lord to give me a prophecy of success in the night while the physical news portray otherwise the following morning. God looks at the end from the beginning! However we are human being; we may tremble and shake at the news. We must always bring to mind the promises from the Lord to counteract the news. In my case the promise is the vision I received in the night before the letter arrived. We can as well rest upon the general promises of peace already written for the righteous in the bible.
I went to the immigration office to ask what should be my next line of action. I told the officer I can prove the work experience requested and that I had written a letter to the company for affidavit. He advised that if the affidavit can arrive before I go to court for deportation hearing then I can show it to the judge who could still reverse the decision. Fortunately, the court's delay to get to my case was long and the affidavit arrived before the court date. The affidavit was finally accepted and the visa was granted which was two years after the process was started. "Yea, though it tarry wait for it! It shall not tarry too long." I also want you to realize that God's plan is the best. Sometime we may not see the reason for some things which do not go the way we expect. But in the final analysis, "all things work together for good to them that love the Lord", especially when the Lord is controlling your affairs. I started the visa process as an unmarried bachelor and within the two years before it was concluded, I was engaged and married and I changed my status from "single" to "married" in the request for visa. By the time it was granted, I got the visa for my wife also on the same application. Whereas if I had received the visa as a bachelor, I would have to file another application for my wife and she would have to wait in-line for visa overseas for one year before she could be allowed to join her husband. I can say therefore that the timing was controlled by the Lord. "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him". (Psa.37:7).An example of the faith that seeks and never gives up is found in Isaac. After Abraham was dead, Isaac lived among the Philistines. They were jealous of him and they sent him away. Then Isaac was seeking for water by digging wells, even some of the old wells which his father Abraham once dug, which had been stopped by the Philistines. "Isaac digged again the wells of water which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham; and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. And Isaac's servants digged in the valley and found there a well of springing water. And the herdmen of Gerar did strove with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours; and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him." But Isaac will not give up! "And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah." Yea the faith that seeks never give up!. "And he removed from thence and digged another well; and for that they strove not; and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land". (Gen.26:18-22).