Hiding In Plain Sight

When I heard the learn'd astronomer;
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me;
When I was shown the charts and the diagrams, to add, divide, and
measure them;
When I, sitting, heard the astronomer, where he lectured with much
applause in the lecture-room,
How soon, unaccountable, I became tired and sick;
Till rising and gliding out, I wander'd off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look'd up in perfect silence at the stars. by Walt Whitman

There has never been a generation with more tools with which to find God.

Radio stations fill the airwaves with praise and preaching. TV channels are exclusively devoted to the same. The average American household contains 7 Bibles. When you Google Jesus Christ, 19 million websites are ready to deliver the information.

We've been MasterLife'd, Experience God'ed, Purpose Driven, and still, how many of us really know God?

Whitman's poem caught me today at a needy moment. Frustrated because I wasn't happy with the way my message for Sunday morning was going, I took a break and pulled a literature book off the shelf. I felt like the poet had been looking over my shoulder all morning as I tried to fit God into my purpose, instead of spending time listening to His Word. I was looking for points to deliver, for principles to teach. That's all there in the Scriptures to be sure. But just like Whitman had to leave the lecture to find the stars, sometimes you really need to step back from the Scriptures and embrace the wonder of God's love.

More than anything else, the Bible is given to bring us to God through His Son, Jesus. Jesus put it this way, when confronted by some people who memorized the words without getting to know the author...

"You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! John 5:39 (The Message)

Friends, it's wonderful to know the Bible, and awesome to be given the opportunity to teach it. Just remember, it's not about information - it's about Jesus. Teach someone biblical truths without helping them find love for Jesus, and you've hidden God's love for them in plain sight. Help them find Him, and His love will lead them into the Scriptures.

It's always about Jesus.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.