Wednesday, December 28, 2022 – New Year’s Day

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6: 33, New Living Translation)

[I have been writing this blog for over seven years. I am constantly surprised and humbled by those who reads these blogs and how many read them. As we enter a new year, I want to say thank you to all my readers. I will continue to try and do my best to lead us in the quest to follow Jesus.]

            One of my favourite computer games is the “hidden object” game.

In the story line (usually a fantasy), one comes across a scene in which I am given a long list of objects to find. Some are obvious and quickly clicked away.  Some are hidden behind other objects and I must move whatever is hiding the object to get to it and click it away. Sometimes, I have a picture in mind of what I am looking for but I can’t find it. That is because my idea of the object doesn’t fit the real object in the scene. Or sometimes, I think I am looking for something quite small and keep overlooking the rather large object right in front of my nose (and visa versa). There is even a type that gives me the objects and I need to place them back into the scene in the right places – also tricky. Sometimes, I simply can’t find something and I have to use the hint button.

We are at edge of a New Year. The future might be compared to that hidden object game. We are looking for something in the year ahead, something that helps us to accomplish our goals and tell our stories.

There are going to be some things that come easily or I hope so, at least. Loving our families. Being truthful. Respecting others. Helping others.  Doing our best.

But sometimes, the good things we seek may be hidden by obstacles and obstructions.  Somebody’s harsh or judgmental words. Illnesses. Setbacks. Worries and fears.  We will need to work a little harder to find the good and the answers we seek.

Then, there will be those times we will be looking for one thing which we think is really important and obvious and discover that the solution is not what we pictured at all. God works in mysterious ways and we will have to trust to look for and find God’s answer to our puzzles, not our own assumptions.

The answers may be under our noses but we refuse to see them, to own them, to let then shape our vision. We fail to recognize the Good News that God has for us.

There are going to be times when we have to put back and not just take away. We need to give back in order to discover the satisfaction of finding answers and solutions.

I only wish we had a hint button in our lives that we could push when we are at a standstill, some crossroads, at some crisis, at some turning point. That would make life so much easier. Far fewer mistakes. Far fewer mis-clicks.

But it comes close in our text above.  “Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.” (The Message)

It comes down as to how you and I follow Jesus into our futures and how we find Jesus in our stories. Our choices are important and even critical for the storyline which we are living. It is easy to get stuck or incapacitated and choose to make no choice. But in the long run that is in itself a bad choice and leads us no where close to the Kingdom of God.

Trust God and seek God’s Love in all that we choose to do. Look for Jesus and follow him where he is.

Make that your New Year’s resolution.

“For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:8 NLT)

Dale