SEEKING BUTTERFLIES AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

www.godsbreathpublications.com

 

Matthew 7:7‑8

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

 

The early years of my childhood were spent growing up in Oklahoma. I liked collecting things, just about anything; rocks, insects, bugs, turtles, arrowheads and butterflies.

 

 One year my Aunt Ruth came to visit us from California. She was very proud of living in California. She told us of the beautiful Redwood trees, the blue Pacific Ocean, the fast moving Sacramento River as well as all the gorgeous wildlife. Since I was very much into collecting butterflies at the time, I asked her what the butterflies were like. On she went with her bragging, but now focusing on butterflies that she had seen in California. She said they were very plentiful and more beautiful than anything you could find in Oklahoma. She said that one of the most beautiful butterflies she had ever seen was called a Tiger Swallowtail. It was like nothing she had ever seen growing up in Oklahoma. It was very large, with long black and yellow streaks of color. The wings were graceful in appearance with a small knobbed tail at the end. She was very, very proud of her California Tiger Swallowtail.

 

 This sparked my interest in collecting butterflies, so I decided I would go out and see if I could find anything that would rival her California Tiger Swallowtail. Aunt Ruth continued on, talking to my parents about California while I went on my quest. I gathered my net and my collecting jar. I was prepared!

 

Off I went to seek out the perfect Oklahoma butterfly. I knew the best place to begin was in our neighbor’s yard. On the side of their house was a huge Honeysuckle plant that had grown up the side of the wall. Tons of bees, humming birds and yes, butterflies congregated there. As I walked towards their yard, I couldn’t get the image Aunt Ruth had painted in my mind of the beautiful Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. I glanced at the huge Honeysuckle plant and saw many varieties of insects and butterflies, but nothing close to the beauty Aunt Ruth had described. Then I saw it; I couldn’t believe my eyes… 

 

There, right in front of me, only a few feet away on a lower blossom was a large, yellow and black Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. I froze. Could it be true? Was it a vision? Was God teasing me? Was I hallucinating? But it was moving, fluttering from blossom to blossom. I carefully readied my net. Stealthily I crept closer to the Honeysuckle plant, I mustn’t miss my chance. I had to prove to Aunt Ruth that Oklahoma grew beautiful butterflies too! I got within range and quickly brought my net down. MISSED! The butterfly knew what was up now. It began to fly quickly away. I ran, dashed, stumbled, and whipped madly at it with my net. I chased it around the block, through bushes, across neighbors’ yards and down the middle of the street. It seemed to know my moves before I made them. Several times I came close, only to miss by inches. Then finally VICTORY, as I swung the net quickly to surround the beautiful Tiger Swallowtail butterfly on a small bush in another neighbors yard. I had it. I sat down and rested, gazing down at my prize within the folds of my net. What a treasure! I caught my breath and carefully transferred the gorgeous creature to my collecting jar. I got up began to march home, gleaming with pride. I hoped that Aunt Ruth wouldn’t feel bad when she saw my trophy. After all, I had matched the best she could boast about of the beautiful California that she was so proud of.

 

Well I wish I had a picture of the face of Aunt Ruth. She couldn’t believe that I had caught a butterfly that she thought belonged only in California. Needless to say, I was very proud that I had sought out and obtained a great prize of a butterfly. It made me feel good.

 

There are other things in life that are good to seek after. Probably the most excellent thing you could seek after would be God and His kingdom. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” The scripture at the beginning of this story also parallels Luke 11:9.

 

There are some blessings and gifts of God that must be sought after and asked for. God supplies our needs, but chooses at times to wait for us to ask before He pours his blessings on us. God desires a relationship with us. He wants to hear from us through our prayers and our worship.

 

Seeking God’s Kingdom and His righteousness can be simple at times and other times hard. It is simple because all we have to do is desire to know Him more, seek to see Him work in our lives, be sensitive to how He can use us to minister to others, and observe how well He blesses us.

 

Sometimes though, just like my chasing of the butterfly, seeking Him can be a hardship. This can especially be the case when Satan attempts to hinder our efforts, or when we let our fleshly nature hinder our determination, faith and witness for holy pursuits and interests.

 

Romans 2:7

“To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.”

 

We must be persistent in our seeking God, purity, holiness and obedience to God’s Word. We must push forward towards God, we must focus ourselves on obtaining the favor of His eye by being faithful as it says in Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Our reward will be well worth it.

 

The prize of the beautiful Tiger Swallowtail pales in comparison to the rewards that await Disciples at Christ not only in this life, but also the next. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior our journey of righteousness begins; for then we are forgiven for all our sins and nave new life in Christ. As we are faithful in this life and seek to live righteously we bring glory to God and become not just forgiven sinners, but sons and daughters of Almighty God.

 

Luke 6:23

“Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven.”

 

1 Corinthians 3:11-15

“For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

 

Colossians 3:23-25

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.”

 

2 John 8-9

“Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.”

 

Revelation 22:12-13

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.  “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”