The Ultimate Primary Search

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”  (Jeremiah 29:13)

Firefighters are often assigned to perform a primary search on the fire ground. The role of a primary search and its purpose to quickly search an area near the fire in hopes to find anyone who may have become lost or trapped is one of great importance.

Do you search every structure as if there was someone inside?

Would you search more intensely if it was someone you knew?

What does it mean to search for someone with all your heart?

On the fire ground, when firefighters are told that there is a child in the A/D corner of the bedroom, they form a mental picture of their goal. When properly suited up, with a charged line and along with the tools to assist in search and rescue they move in.

In the story of the lost sheep, the Good Shepherd leaves the 99 sheep to save the one lost sheep. From an outsider’s perspective we are guilty of saying, “Why would anyone leave 99 to save one?”

Each and every human being is loved by God and Christ died so that all may live.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

When firefighters arrive at a house fire and are told that three of the four children are accounted for but they cannot find the youngest child you’d better believe they are going to do everything in their power to save that child.

Firefighters understand the value of human life. God values our lives even more so. For He “demonstrated His great love in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Why?

Because God loves all of His children and every life is important to Him. As we put on our PPE to search for the lost remember that God clothed himself in human flesh and took on the form of a servant to die for you and for me.