1-29-2025

Good Morning All,

  Haggai 2:5; “My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.”

    Have you ever seen any of the children’s book series “Where’s Waldo?”  It is a series of books where the main character Waldo dresses in red and white stripes.  He is hiding in a picture, and you have to find him.  It is not as easy as it sounds.  The artist uses a combination of colors and hues to give the illusion of Waldo when it isn’t really him.  You can spend hours on a book trying to find Waldo in the different areas of the picture.

    Looking for something has been part of the human experience for a long time.  The Greek cynic Diogenes carried a lantern and searched for an honest man.  Peter, Paul, and Mary asked the musical question, “Where have all the flowers Gone?”  Whether it was the truth, true love or just a really good cheeseburger; people have searched for something that they couldn’t find.

    There are many times in our lives when we feel like we can’t find God.  We look around and see troubles in the world, in our nation even in our lives and we feel like we are looking for Waldo.  We see violence throughout the world.  We see hatred.  We see part of the world with more money, food, and power than it could ever need or use while another part lives on pennies a day with little food and no way to control their own destiny.  We look at our nation and see a people divided on virtually every issue that exists.  We look at our own lives and see pain and problems.  We see job troubles, relationships, even our own inner peace.

    One of our biggest problems is the same as when we look for Waldo, we are easily misled, and we end up looking in all the wrong places.  We look to drugs and alcohol; we look to crackpot self-help gurus; we look to our own strength and wisdom.  All these lead us down the wrong path; toward the path of destruction.  We tend to look to anything besides God. 

     The wondrous thing is that even though we look away from God; he never looks away from us.  He remains in our midst; offering us the peace and the hope to survive this world.  He is always right where He said He would be, in His Word and His sacraments. He is always there to lead through the difficult times; never abandoning us but always there to offer us comfort and hope.

     He does this through the creation which he has made.  He does this through the Church which he formed.  He does this through you and me whom he has redeemed.   God is always in our midst, so we never have to fear.  We are never alone, even when facing our darkest fears; god is there to comfort us.  He is in our midst, and we have nothing to fear. For the victory over sin, death, and the devil has been secured, by Christ, and given to us, by that same Christ. Have no fear little flock, our Savior is protecting us!

Dear Father, you graciously live in our midst and protect us from all the devil’s ways.  Keep us safe and cause us to see that our comfort is in you alone.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret