After I kissed my husband goodbye he opened the door and shut it quickly. I bolted it. Burr! Keep the frigid air from streaming inside the house! I ascended the steps and looked for my coffee cup in the kitchen but I didn’t see it. I climbed the steps to the next level and looked beside the chair where I had been earlier. Did I set it here? My coffee cup wasn’t on the little stool beside my chair either. Hmm? Maybe I left it on my nightstand? No, not there! My slippers swished as I shuffled along into the bathroom to see if it was on the counter but it wasn’t. Man! Where did I put that thing?
Next I went into the closet. “Perhaps I set it on the shelf inside here? I said. Nope! I spun around and walked back out to the kitchen. As I traveled, I heard myself in coaching tone, Don’t worry you’ll find it! Just keep looking. Rachel, you just had it don’t give up! I glanced again at the counter which was completely clear. Where else have you been this morning? I know I’m not going crazy, I just had it!
I chuckled because I was determined to find it. I retraced my steps again: beside the bed, into the bathroom, into the closet, into the kitchen, up stairs and beside my chair. I searched in all of the places I had already been a second time. Why? I wanted my coffee and I knew it could be found! I had just had it a few minutes ago.
Finally I remembered earlier I had warmed my coffee up. Oh, maybe it’s in the microwave! So I opened the microwave and spied it. There you are! One sip confirmed it was completely cold but I found it!
A few years ago I didn’t even drink coffee, but now I really wanted my coffee as I planned to continue my morning routine. Determined, I didn’t give up. I kept searching partly because I wanted it and because I knew it was somewhere in my house. I kept on seeking, searching and looking until I found it!
I thought about seeking God, wanting Him enough to go after Him in major search mode. I thought of the Bible verse Jeremiah 29:13 “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the LORD. What a great promise. God is good and He never plays hide and seek. He is a seek and find kind of God. It gets even better!
When I returned to my chair this morning, coffee cup in hand, these were the verses I read. Hebrews 13:5 “I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'” How great is this truth. He never leaves or abandons us. For the believer, one who acknowledges Jesus as Lord and Savior, there is only the need to recognize His presence because He is already right with us. He has promised never to leave or forsake us. So the major searching mode is no longer the main thing, but letting the realization and promise of his nearness sink in. He is right here with us. He lives in us by His Spirit, so we don’t lose Him and have to find Him again. This is key.
Stop the frantic searching. Settle down. Think of it like this; it’s like looking for a pair of eye glasses or readers only to realize they are either around your neck or on top of your head. Yes, both have happened to me. Aw, they’re right here with me!
Be encouraged today. Jesus lives inside the believer and will never leave or abandon you. He promises to be found and He never leaves or forgets about you. So might I suggest you do what I did this morning, shut the door of you mind and bolt it! Just keep the frigid air of the enemy or your own thoughts out. Then grab a cup of coffee sit down and rest in the warmth of Jesus’ love. He loves you!
rachel inouye 