3-4-2021

 Good Morning All,   

      Psalm 105:4; “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”

       About the time that our oldest grandson was two or so, he loved to play hide and seek.  For the most part, he was not too bad.  He usually hid pretty well except he would giggle all the time.  One time, he convinced his uncles to play with him.  They were all at our house.  My grandson went to look for a place to hide.  We have a small entryway on the one side of the house.  There is a door to the outside, a door to a closet, a door into my office and a door to the living room.  He ran into this entry way to hide.  He could not open any of the doors to the office, closet or outside.  His one uncle yelled, “here I come.”

    Our grandson froze.  He extended each arm up against the closet door and tried to attach himself to the door in an effort to hide.  He stood as still as he could.  He tried to blend in with the door and hide.  It did not work but he tried.  He was hoping to hide but his uncles found him anyway.

   When we think of seeking something; we tend to think of things that are hidden, like a grandson or a buried treasure.  Yet in the Bible, seeking means something a little different.  When we read the word “seek” in the Bible, we should think more of turning to or of asking counsel of.  So, in our verse, when it says to “seek the Lord” it does not mean to go looking for someone who is hidden; it means to turn to God where he is and has always been, right next to you.  We seek God where he is, in his Word and in his sacrament.  We seek God when we engage in prayer to him.

    This is what it means to “seek God.”  It is not some great quest or hunt; it is turning to God as our one and only source of true peace.  “Seeking God” is asking for his guidance, for his Spirit, for his wisdom and for his peace.  “Seeking God” is to trust in his faithful promises and to rely on those promises continually.  This is how we cope with life, by trusting in God and his promises.  Whether we are facing surgery in the morning or the loss of a loved one or a painfully sad change in our life, we are to “seek God” we are to turn to him in confident prayer and read his wonderful words of hope and peace.  We are to hear from God about his love for us and the certain confidence that we have because of his love for us.

    We can always take comfort in God’s Word.  It gives us life and hope, nourishment, and comfort.  In God’s gracious Word we have peace.  We can face each challenge with the confidence that God is truly in our side.  Seek God; turn to him and trust in his promises to give you life and hope, comfort, and peace.  Seek God; he waits for you with all his mercy.

Father of all goodness, in you we have all our hope.  Guide us by your Spirit that we may always seek you.  Guide us to always trust in your Word and to trust in your grace.  Be with all the hurting and the saddened people.  Guide them to come to you for peace and comfort.  Use us to help in guiding them that all may come to know the mercy that you bestow on your children.  Protect us we pray in the precious name of Jesus.  Amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret