During the month of March our GEMS are focusing on “Notice God in the Ordinary” in their Sparkle and SHINE brightly! Bible lessons. Let’s get in the Word with them.
NOTICE GOD IN THE ORDINARY
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13
The Psalms contain a number of cries and pleas that God not hide His face from His people. How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever/ How long will you hide your face from me? Do not hide your face from me. When you hid your face, I was dismayed. Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. Why, O LORD, do you reject me and hide your face from me? Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly (Psalm 13:1, 27:9a, 30:7b, 69:17, 88:14, 102:2).
Horror of horrors if God turns His face from us or sets His face against us! Yet, how many times have we turned our face from Him, or shut our eyes to His works and wonders, our ears to His Word and Spirit, or failed to notice Him in the ordinary?
The Psalmists acknowledged and understood that we need God’s face to shine on us so that we may be saved and restored (Psalm 80:3, 7, 19). They also gave the repeated reminder that we must seek God’s face!
Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. My hearts says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek (Psalm 105:4, 27:8).
To seek God with all our heart means that we passionately look for Him. It’s a fervent, zealous search for God that doesn’t hope to see Him, but firmly expects to see evidence that He is near! We seek God when we read the Bible, when we listen to God the Holy Spirit and His promptings in our mind and heart, when we open our eyes to His presence and spot Him at work in our lives and the world around us.
During this season at GEMS we’re calling our seeking after God Noticing God in the Ordinary. Some call it God-Sightings, others call it God STOPs (Savor The Observable Presence of God), and still others have termed it going on a God Hunt. Regardless of what expression you use, it’s the daily practice of being on watch for God. And when we go on a wide-eyed, wholehearted search, we will see Him! You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13).
Noticing God in the ordinary feeds the fire in our hearts because we see Him making Himself known to us, and we take note of all the tender ways He cares for us.
PASSION Step: At the end of the day ask: Where did I see God at work? Repeat daily for the rest of your life. Record it in a journal as a spiritual act of worship.
The lesson I learned early on [from my mother] was to remember to look for God in my day (what I once heard someone call “God sightings”). She explained that God shows up every day; however, we don’t always recognize Him.
Marilyn Hontz
NOTICE GOD IN THE ORDINARY
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13
The Psalms contain a number of cries and pleas that God not hide His face from His people. How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever/ How long will you hide your face from me? Do not hide your face from me. When you hid your face, I was dismayed. Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. Why, O LORD, do you reject me and hide your face from me? Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly (Psalm 13:1, 27:9a, 30:7b, 69:17, 88:14, 102:2).
Horror of horrors if God turns His face from us or sets His face against us! Yet, how many times have we turned our face from Him, or shut our eyes to His works and wonders, our ears to His Word and Spirit, or failed to notice Him in the ordinary?
The Psalmists acknowledged and understood that we need God’s face to shine on us so that we may be saved and restored (Psalm 80:3, 7, 19). They also gave the repeated reminder that we must seek God’s face!
Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. My hearts says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek (Psalm 105:4, 27:8).
To seek God with all our heart means that we passionately look for Him. It’s a fervent, zealous search for God that doesn’t hope to see Him, but firmly expects to see evidence that He is near! We seek God when we read the Bible, when we listen to God the Holy Spirit and His promptings in our mind and heart, when we open our eyes to His presence and spot Him at work in our lives and the world around us.
During this season at GEMS we’re calling our seeking after God Noticing God in the Ordinary. Some call it God-Sightings, others call it God STOPs (Savor The Observable Presence of God), and still others have termed it going on a God Hunt. Regardless of what expression you use, it’s the daily practice of being on watch for God. And when we go on a wide-eyed, wholehearted search, we will see Him! You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13).
Noticing God in the ordinary feeds the fire in our hearts because we see Him making Himself known to us, and we take note of all the tender ways He cares for us.
PASSION Step: At the end of the day ask: Where did I see God at work? Repeat daily for the rest of your life. Record it in a journal as a spiritual act of worship.
The lesson I learned early on [from my mother] was to remember to look for God in my day (what I once heard someone call “God sightings”). She explained that God shows up every day; however, we don’t always recognize Him.
Marilyn Hontz
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