I have a wooden plaque on my desk. It has thin pieces of wood placed on it. If you look at the spaces between the pieces of wood carefully and creatively, you can see the name, "Jesus." Some people can see it. Others can't quite make it out.
In the Christmas song "Do You Hear What I Hear?" there is a line that says, "Do you see what I see?" I often think about Simeon and Anna who saw the baby Jesus at the temple (Luke 2:22-40). They saw Jesus and recognized Him as the Messiah. There must have been many other people at the Temple that day who didn't see anything other than a poor couple and their young baby. Simeon and Anna, however, saw Jesus for who He really is!
Recently a young man asked me, "Why was it that some of the people of Jesus' day didn't recognize that he was the Messiah?" Some were too familiar with him, knowing Him as Joseph and Mary's son (Mark 6:1-5). Others expected the Messiah to be a political leader, but Jesus wasn't who they expected. Sometimes people don't see because they aren't looking or because they are just too busy or because they don't want to see.
The Lord wants to show us things, but some of us aren't seeing them. We have to want to see. We have to ask the Lord to help us. Like the song has us pray, "Open the eyes of my heart Lord, I want to see you ..."
Remember these words and promises of Jesus?
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33 NKJV). "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7).
Do you desire to see what God is doing, or are you too busy to seek, ask, and knock?
Do you want to see what His will is for your life, or would you rather just keep doing what you want to do?
Just like some of the people of Jesus' day, some of us are too casual about recognizing Jesus and what He is doing. We're not seeking, asking, and knocking. Remember the words of the prophet Jeremiah as he speaks for God: "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).
In this season fresh after Christmas and as we begin the New Year, I want to be like Simeon and Anna, who saw Jesus. I want to see Him and know what He is doing. I want to follow His will for my life. So join me in seeking and searching after Him with all of my heart!
