When I was a little girl, I really liked the Harry Potter series. In fact, I liked it so much I tried to read as fast as I could to get to the end because I wanted to know what happened to the boy with the scar on his forehead.
Every car trip, every second of downtime, every moment I could grasp I would have one of those books in my hand. My eyes would race across the page, soaking in every ounce of detail possible. My mind would go wild discovering the hidden secrets JK Rowling muddled in the chapters of her creative works, accompanying her characters as they learned important lessons, uncovered beauty in the darkness, and fought against magical creatures and forces far beyond their imaginations. I took it all in and I was always hungry for more.
This example of my past reminded me, isn’t this the way we should be living out our relationship with Christ? The Bible says that “in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3), so why is it so easy for us to lose that sense of desperation to know Him more?
I think the reason why we forget this is because we lose sight of how exciting Jesus really is. Truly friends, He holds the answer to every question we could ever ask, so why aren’t we asking them to Him more?
I think it is so easy for me to get caught up in the “wonders” of the world we live in, the shiny details and pretty things surrounding us, and the grabby hands of materialism that I completely forget that compared to Christ, they’re all dull, rusted metal deserving to be trashed or melted in the fire.
One of the most subtle, detrimental attacks of the enemy in this day and age is his use of distractions; they grab ahold of our attention and never want to let go. We don’t know how to concentrate and sit still, which can cause us to neglect spending time in the quiet with our God, opening our hearts to Him and taking the time to listen to what He has to say.
So, in light of this, answer me these questions:
When was the last time you took an hour to do absolutely, positively NOTHING but sit in the silence?
When was the last time you honestly asked God questions that you were too terrified to admit out loud?
When was the last time you took a leap of faith and prayed for something that you really wanted even though you felt inadequate to do it?
Friends, hear me out. Asking Jesus questions was one of the best things I ever did for my relationship with God.
When I was debating whether or not to move to Florida, I sat down and asked Him.
When I was debating moving back to Ohio, I sat down and asked Him. Again.
When I was unsure about whether marrying Joe was what God wanted for us, I sat down and asked Him.
And in all those circumstances, I didn’t just do it once. I did it again. And again. And again.
Whenever you feel discouraged, ask Jesus where He is. Ask Him to speak to you in a way that He never has before! Ask Him to show you His wisdom and knowledge that’s hidden in Him. He desires to have us seek and find Him. It’s not like a hide-and-seek game where He doesn’t want to be found; as you start looking, He’ll not only begin calling your name from rooms away, He’ll leave His hiding place and come find you.
Just because you don’t hear from God once doesn’t mean you won’t hear from Him at all. We are called to earnestly seek Him in all circumstances, regardless of if He answers us.
So next time you don’t hear from Him, challenge yourself to do this:
When you’re afraid, trust anyway.
When you’re feeling abandoned, love anyway.
When you’re sad, rejoice anyway.
When you’re hurt, forgive anyway.
When you want to give up, believe anyway. That my friends, is called faith. And that’s all He’s ever wanted from us.
making mustard seeds 