Yes.

David told his son Solomon that if he sought God, then he would find him. And Solomon told his son that if he looked for insight and understanding like he was looking for treasure, then he would find knowledge and understanding of God. Solomon says Wisdom says those who seek wisdom find it.

But is this a general thing, or does it only apply to God, wisdom, and… God-wisdom? According to Jesus, it’s a universal principle: Just as everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds. But according to the Bible, Jesus is wrong. Plenty of people have sought and not found.

No.

Laban searched for his gods, but he couldn’t find them, because his daughter was sitting on them. Judah sent his friend to find a prostitute to whom he owed a goat, but he couldn’t find her.

After Moses told the Israelites there wouldn’t be any manna on the Sabbath, some of them went out to look for manna on the Sabbath, and they didn’t find any. Some men sent by the king of Jericho searched for two Israelite spies for three days, and returned without finding them.

Saul’s father made him go out to look for some lost donkeys. Saul searched for days, wandering through the territory of multiple tribes, until his father was more worried about losing him. But Saul never found the donkeys. Somebody else found them first.

Ahab sent people into every nation and kingdom to look for Elijah, and to make the people of those nations and kingdoms look for Elijah too, but they could never find him. He just showed up himself one day, when he was ready to confront Ahab. Then after God permanently took Elijah away to heaven, the other prophets sent 50 men to search for him for three days, but they couldn’t find him either.

Ezra and Nehemiah both mention some Jews who didn’t get to be priests when they came back from exile, because they couldn’t find their family records, even though they searched for them.

Even God doesn’t always find what he’s looking for. Job said when he was dead, even God would search for him and wouldn’t be able to find him. God confirmed that what Job said about him was true. And Ezekiel says God looked for someone among the people of Israel who would build the wall and convince him not to destroy the land, but he found no one.

While Solomon was searching for meaning, but not finding it, he also failed to find a single good woman. (Because he was looking for one among men for some reason.) One of Solomon’s lovers looked for him all night, but didn’t find him. Because she didn’t bother getting out of bed to look for him. So then she got up and looked through the city for him, but she couldn’t find him that way either. Another time, she went to get the door for him, but he disappeared, and she couldn’t find him when she looked for him that time either.¹

Isaiah says one day Israel will search for their enemies, but won’t find them, because they won’t really have any anymore. Ezekiel says after God brings an end to Tyre, people will seek Tyre, but they’ll never find it again. God told Hosea that some woman (who represents Israel, I think?) would look for her lovers, but not find them.

Jesus says demons that are cast out of a person will just come back to the same person again, because when they try to find rest somewhere else, they can’t find it anywhere. Jesus told a story about a man who decided to cut down his fig tree, because when he looked for fruit on it, it never had any. Jesus’s enemies looked for evidence they could use against him to justify having him executed, but they couldn’t find any. They couldn’t even find any false evidence.

After an angel broke Peter out of prison, Herod thoroughly looked for him in prison and didn’t find him, so he had all the guards killed. Paul says most of the people of Israel didn’t get what they earnestly sought. And Revelation says in the last days people will seek death, but they won’t even be able to find that.

Even people who seek God and wisdom don’t always find them

Job said no matter where he looked, he couldn’t find God. God confirmed that what Job said about him was true. Job also says God’s purposes can never be thwarted, and there’s a psalm that says God hides himself when people need him the most… So that means anyone who seeks God at a time like that will definitely not find him. Similarly, fools will look for wisdom during times of disaster, but they won’t find it. Solomon says that kind of person never finds wisdom when they seek it.

Isaiah says God has been hiding himself,² and can’t always be found. So if you seek God at the wrong time, you won’t be able to find him. God told Hosea that when his people seek him, they won’t find him. Amos says people will search from coast to coast for the word of God, but won’t find it. And Jesus said people would look for him, but wouldn’t find him.