The One Who Seeks…Finds.

In “The One Who Seeks… Finds!”, Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation Church preaches a sermon encouraging viewers to look for reasons to hope rather than grumble, especially during difficult seasons (0:00). The sermon emphasizes that blessings can be right in front of you.

Key themes discussed include:

• God’s Presence and Provision: The sermon highlights that God is on your side (5:50) and that even in times of difficulty, there can be “bread” or provision available (16:45).
• Gleaning in Grief and Pain: Furtick discusses the concept of “gleaning in the grieving” (19:00), urging people to see God’s hand even in pain (22:44) and not to let grief overshadow their perspective (26:23).
• Focus and Perspective: The sermon encourages gratitude for what is taken for granted (29:40) and emphasizes that a mind on a mission will find what it’s looking for (31:41-34:02).
• Avoiding Misery and Seeking God: Furtick warns against seeking misery (40:42) or the attention of others (42:34), instead urging listeners to recognize the good they might be overlooking (49:46). He concludes by stating that favor is in front of you (53:24) and that God is actively seeking and saving people (55:25-1:00:19).

Scripture references used in the sermon include Ruth 1:19-22, Ruth 2:1-12, Matthew 7:7-11, and 2 Chronicles 16:9.

What does “the one” signify? 

In the sermon “The One Who Seeks… Finds!”, “the one” signifies an individual who actively seeks something out, with the understanding that their effort in seeking will lead to finding it (12:22). Pastor Steven Furtick emphasizes that what you choose to focus on and look for in your life—whether it’s misery or blessings—is what you are likely to discover (34:02). The title is directly derived from the biblical principle of “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” from Matthew 7:7 (1:00:19).

What is “gleaning in the grieving”?

“Gleaning in the grieving” (19:00) is a concept discussed by Pastor Steven Furtick, meaning the ability to find valuable lessons, blessings, or remnants of hope even while still experiencing profound sadness, loss, or pain.

Key aspects of “gleaning in the grieving” include:

• Finding value in loss: Just as gleaners in biblical times would collect leftover grain from fields after the main harvest, “gleaning in the grieving” means finding what was “left on the ground that somebody else didn’t even see” (22:30-22:44) in the midst of difficult experiences.
• Coexistence of pain and provision: The sermon emphasizes that sadness and bitterness do not cease just because blessings arrive (21:27-21:33, 25:34-25:37). One can be blessed and still feel pain simultaneously.
• Transforming regret into lessons: It involves taking a regret or a difficult experience and, with God’s help, turning it into a lesson or recognizing it as God’s hand at work, even if it’s not explicitly named as such (23:05-23:13).
• Active pursuit of gratitude: It’s an active decision and practice, like keeping a gratitude journal, to intentionally look for things to be thankful for, even when it’s not natural or easy (29:35-30:00).
• Not letting grief overshadow opportunity: The message highlights the importance of not letting grief “overtake the gleaning” because there is still something valuable left in one’s life (26:23-26:34).

What does “gleaning” mean practically? 

Practically, “gleaning” refers to the act of finding and utilizing what is left over, overlooked, or seemingly insignificant, particularly in challenging circumstances, to find benefit or blessings.

Based on the sermon, here’s what gleaning means practically:

• Biblical Context: Historically, gleaning was a practice in ancient Israel (Leviticus 19) where landowners were commanded to leave some crops on the edges of their fields and not pick up fallen produce, allowing the poor, widows, and foreigners (like Ruth) to come and collect what remained for their sustenance (20:03-20:32). It was about finding provision from what others missed or left behind.
• Modern Application: Pastor Furtick translates this into a mental and spiritual practice (22:57-23:14):
  • Turning Regrets into Lessons: It’s the ability to take a difficult experience or regret and transform it into a valuable lesson, recognizing the hand of God even when it’s not obvious (23:05-23:13).
  • Noticing the Overlooked Good: It means being good at seeing “what was left on the ground that somebody else didn’t even see” (22:38-22:41). Someone else might walk through your life and find many things to be grateful for that you take for granted (29:40-29:51).
  • Active Gratitude: It’s an intentional practice, like keeping a gratitude journal (23:26-23:30), where you actively look for things to be thankful for, rather than focusing on grumbling or what’s going wrong (35:32-35:45).
  • Finding Provision in Scarcity: It’s recognizing that you “can live on what they miss” (27:24-27:26), meaning you can find sustenance and blessings from what seems like leftovers or disadvantages. Ruth, for example, was “uniquely qualified through her disadvantages” to glean (20:46-20:51).

In essence, “gleaning” practically means cultivating a mindset of seeking out the good, the useful, or the lessons in situations where others might only see lack, difficulty, or negativity.

How does our mindset affect finding?

Our mindset profoundly affects what we find because we tend to discover what we are actively looking for (31:41). Pastor Steven Furtick emphasizes this point repeatedly, stating that “You’ll find what you’re looking for” (34:02).

Here’s how our mindset influences finding:

• Directed Focus: Our minds are constantly “on a mission” (31:41). Whatever we are seeking, whether it’s reasons to complain or reasons to be grateful, our minds will work to confirm that search. If you look for misery, you’ll find it, as “the devil will help you find misery” (40:42). Conversely, if you look for good, you will discover it.
• Perception of Provision: A complaining mindset can lead us to “overlook the good” (49:46) and fail to see the favor or blessings that are right in front of us (53:24). An ungrateful mindset can cause us to take things for granted (29:40-29:51), blinding us to existing provisions.
• Active vs. Passive: Finding is not a passive act; it requires a mindset of active seeking. Just like gleaning, it involves intentionally looking for what’s left behind or the opportunities in difficult situations (22:38-22:44). If we don’t actively seek, we might miss the very things God has placed for us (55:25-56:00).
• Influence on Action: What we expect to find influences our actions. If we believe there’s nothing good, we won’t look or act in a way that leads to discovery. If we believe there’s hope, we’ll “just start somewhere” (38:27), taking steps that lead us towards finding it.

Why does Boaz notice Ruth? 

Boaz notices Ruth not primarily for her appearance, but because he has been told “all about what you have done for your mother-in-law” (11:42-11:47).

Specifically, he recognizes her for her loyalty and commitment to Naomi (11:45-11:47) and how she “left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before” (11:51-11:57). Her actions demonstrated a deep level of devotion and selflessness, which caught his attention and earned her favor in his eyes (11:58-12:03).

Be Encouraged

Just as Ruth found provision in the overlooked, you too can discover blessings in unexpected places. Keep your mind on a mission for hope, for what you seek, you will surely find!