Hidden in plain sight
Good morning everyone:
Sheer panic set in! I had an appointment, and I couldn’t find my car keys. They weren’t in the pocket of my jacket as I thought they would be. They weren’t on the bench by the back door. I searched from living room to office to bedroom scanning tables and dressers, still no keys. Finally, I slowed down and took a closer look, and there they were, right where they had been all along, in plain sight on my desk.
It’s not just keys. Many things we look for may actually be “hidden in plain sight.” We pray for opportunities to share the news of Jesus with others. We watch for someone new to come into our lives. But maybe the person the Lord has in mind for us to reach is hidden in plain sight: a friend, neighbor, or co-worker we’ve known for years. We desperately search for help and answers to life’s crises and questions. We need comfort and peace of heart. We look to our knowledge and experiences. We consult Google, doctors, and experts. But do we miss the One who has all the answers, loves us with an everlasting love, died to pay for our sin, and rose in victory?
When it seems as though God is not answering, is the real problem that we are not listening? No one has to wonder where to find Him. Isaiah urged the backsliding people of Israel: “To the law and to the testimony!” (Is. 8:20). The psalmist says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Ps. 119:105). The Lord’s help and encouragement are not far away or hard to find. They are hidden in plain sight in the Word for us to hear, believe, and live. Look there first and you won’t have to frantically search elsewhere.
Tomorrow’s sermon text (Jn. 14:15-21) is Jesus’ assurance that through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, He will not be out of reach and distant, but will surely be with us always to the end of the age.
Sunday School and Bible class will be at their usual times.
The 8th grade public school confirmation class will meet at 12:15 p.m.
In Jesus’ name,
Pastor
