The Foundation of Search And See Ministries

How did we arrive at the name “Search And See Ministries?” There is a story, a reason, and a Bible passage behind it.

In 1997, I begin to feel the Lord directing me to begin a ministry. One of the first questions of course was what would it be called. I believe the Lord gave me the name of this ministry during a prayer time. As I was praying, I began meditating on Psalm 139. The last two verses read, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And See if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

The Lord began to speak to me about ministry from those verses. Ministry begins with the minister. Well-known, well-organized, far-reaching ministries have fallen and crumbled by the dozens because the minister within the ministry fell!

I knew without a doubt my personal walk with the Lord was far more important than how large or how far the ministry would expand. The Lord would supply resources and open doors according to His will. I should always strive to be a faithful steward, a faith-filled risk-taker, and stretch every dollar as far as possible. In the end, however, the ministry will only have the funds and the opportunities that the Lord sees fit to give.

By far, the harder task is keeping an eye on my heart! Breadth of ministry is not as good a measure as is depth! Indeed, breadth is worthless without depth. Long lasting ministry with eternal results comes not from being the biggest, brightest, coolest and most popular around. Deep results are produced from a deep walk with the Lord.

It occurred to me so clear and with brute force, the Lord was not calling me to head up a “ministry,” the Lord was calling me to Himself! It wasn’t so much about what the ministry would do or ever become as it was about who I would be and become in Him! It doesn’t matter so much how many people “see” me or how they “see” me as it does that the Lord “sees” me and how the Lord “sees” me!

And that is when it hit me. We will call it “Search And See Ministries” so that even the name will be a constant reminder that we do not exist to make a name for ourselves; we exist to make much of Him! And that begins not on a platform in front of others but in the private prayer closet in front of Him!

And so we pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And See if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”