Discover

Uncovering a lost object is usually a moment of great joy. Jesus talks about this in his famous parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. He tells us that finding the lost brings great joy to God. This sentiment is an echo of the words of the prophets in the Old Testament. Over and over, God speaks through the prophets to the people of Israel about how they have wandered away and how it breaks God’s heart. Learning that God aches over us, desires our presence, and longs to speak into our lives can be a similar delightful discovery for people. Some people feel that there is no guide, no help, no support as they try to navigate life. It’s not that they reject God as much as that they have no idea that God is there, let alone that God cares as deeply as God does. In a nutshell, that was the purpose of Jesus’ coming. He came to demonstrate to the world, to everyone, that this is God’s heart. Amazingly, followers of Jesus are the clues to the open mystery of God’s love. Paul, the Apostle, refers to God’s love as an “open mystery.” He refers to it as a surprise to himself that God loves everyone and is seeking everyone. The open mystery is there, evident, but surprisingly unseen and unknown. It’s there for people to discover, but remains lost because their experience of life blinds their recognition of it. They have eyes, but they do not see. They have ears, but they do not hear. Our lives, hearts, and words are the doorways people need to use to walk into the open mystery of God’s love. The changes in our attitudes, the difference or growth in our becoming Christlike, our increasing responsiveness to God’s direction, the expressions of love in our minds, hearts, souls, and strength, are all ways in which God reveals his grace to the world now. It seems like the world needs that a lot right now. Blessings, Geoff