Seeking Him

30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.” Luke 2:30-32

This year, I have a group of students who really likes to try to pull one over on me. At one point, I have to admit, they were pretty successful. They entered the room as I was finishing something at my computer and when I quickly finished, I realized that one of them was missing. But I was almost certain I had seen him come in the room. After I stepped to the hallway to check on him and then re-entered the classroom, the giggles gave it away. He had crawled under a table in the back of my room, pulled a chair in front of him, and sat there in hiding while I searched.

Now, of course, after that attempt was such a success, for the next couple of weeks I regularly caught one or the other of them trying to hide again. But I was on to their game now! Now, I know exactly what to watch for. I know where to look, too.

Sometimes I am tempted to think that God is a little like that -- hiding from sight so that it is difficult to see Him. I mean, I have never experienced a visible presence or an audible voice -- no burning bush or “angel of the Lord” appearance.

But I know that God clearly says if we seek Him, we will find him. (See Jeremiah 29:13 for just one example.) God promises to be found when we truly set our hearts to finding Him. But we have to seek. We have to be looking. For me, it seems like this is a practiced habit. I am learning what to watch for and where to look. I am learning to be a better “seeker.”

In the Christmas story in Matthew 2, we are told that wise men from the east traveled long and far, following a star that had appeared. They came to Jerusalem looking for the newborn King of the Jews. I’ve always wondered exactly how they knew the meaning of that star’s appearance. We don’t really know, for sure. But it strikes me that the Jews had not noticed this sign. Surely the star was visible to them, as well, but they had to ask these foreigners for details of the star’s appearance. It seems they had not noticed this star, nor did they know the reason for its appearance.

Not that there weren’t any Jews who were waiting and watching for signs of the coming Messiah. Luke tells us of two by name who saw the baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph at the temple, Anna and Simeon. These two both recognized that Jesus was the Messiah and proclaimed the news to those in the temple. We are told that Simeon had been told that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah, and so he was watching and waiting for that promise to come true. And Anna never left the temple courts, fasting and praying, and when she saw Jesus, she began to tell everyone who was waiting for the redemption of Israel about this child.

And yet, the religious leaders missed it. The political leaders missed it. Many of the people missed it. Why? In my opinion, it was because they weren’t looking for Him. They weren’t seeking. They weren’t watching and waiting like the Magi, Simeon, and Anna were.

I feel like this is a lesson God is trying to teach me. In those moments when I question, “God, where are You in this?” I need to stop and focus on seeking Him. The Magi would never have seen the star if they didn’t spend some time looking at the sky. I cannot presume to see God working around me if I never stop to look for Him. If I never spend time in His word and in prayer, I am not likely to find Him. But I know I can rely on His promise -- if I seek Him, I will find Him. And so will you.

Father God, thank You for making Yourself known. Thank You for showing Yourself to us. Jesus, thank You for coming to earth to live and to die that we might know You and be reconciled to You. Help us to consciously seek You, and as we do, teach us where to look and how to find You. Guide us as we search for Your hand at work in us and around us each day.

Immanuel, God With Us

Picture found at: https://4mygodsglory.wordpress.com/2013/12/19/christmas-haiku-7/

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:22-23

December is here! I love how excited the kids at school get about Christmas. The anticipation of the coming break from school, holiday gift exchanges, and parties - not to mention Santa and all his “Elf on the Shelf” operatives with their regular shenanigans - is almost more than the kids can stand! (And some days, honestly, it is way more than a teacher can handle!)

It is so easy to lose sight of the reason behind all the celebration--the coming of our Lord and Savior, Immanuel, God with us. My brain has a hard time wrapping around the idea that Jesus came to earth and took on the form of a lowly human, giving up His glory and position to redeem sinners like me. He came to be with us and to make a way for us to forever be with Him.

Last week, our Bible study at church was on the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Do you know their story? Three young Jews of noble birth who were taken captive to Babylon from Judah and trained in the Babylonian king’s palace in order to serve in his government took a stand and refused to bow to the golden image the king had ordered everyone to worship. They knew the penalty -- death by fiery furnace. But they boldly refused the king’s command, proclaiming their faith in God to save them if He so chose. And so the furnace was stoked, and they were thrown in. 

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Daniel 3:24-25

The king calls to them, and they walk away from the flames without even smelling of smoke.

As I studied this familiar story, I was struck by the way God chose to save these young men. He did not prevent them from being brought before the king. He did not keep them from being thrown in the fire. He did not put the fire out. Instead, He met them in the fire and protected them from the heat. God was with them in that furnace, and even a ruthless, brutal, unbelieving king gave God the praise and glory for it.

You may be facing your own personal fiery furnace right now. It may look and feel a lot different than the physical furnace of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. You are not likely having to defy a king’s orders and face execution. Maybe though, your furnace is a difficult relationship or family situation. Maybe it’s a work setting that is hostile toward you. Maybe it’s a bleak medical diagnosis for you or a loved one. Maybe it’s the grief of losing someone dear to you. Perhaps it is a mountain of debt that you cannot possibly repay. Maybe it’s something different altogether, but a situation where you see no hope of coming out ahead. Whatever the situation, please know that God is with you. Immanuel has come. He may not choose to provide the miracle that you are praying for -- at least not in the way you have asked. But He is with you, and He has a plan to work even this awful situation for your good and His glory. 

Maybe it’s not you in that fiery furnace situation, but is someone you know there? Could God be calling you to stand with someone else - to provide her love, encouragement, and support in the middle of her trial? You may never know just how much a kind word, a whispered prayer, or a quiet presence could help someone in the midst of their flames. God may use you to remind that person that He truly is Immanuel -- God with us.

Father God, we are so thankful for Your presence in our lives. You have promised to be with us always. Help us to trust You more and to boldly proclaim our faith even in the middle of our fires. Give us the strength to lean on You when things are hard. And help us to be there for each other, reminding one another that You are always our Immanuel.