Psalm 105:1-6 

Seek [God’s] presence (v. 4).

I’ve lost count of how many times in my life I’ve lost valuable items. That panic of not knowing where I last left the item, and the sheer frustration of turning over everything to find it, are my least favorite feelings. I’ve lost my ID, my wallet, house keys, my wedding ring a week before my wedding, my birth certificate, and my social security card. You name it and I’ve probably lost it. I lose things so often that my best friend, who is Catholic, gave me her medal of St. Anthony, the patron of lost items. At least I haven’t lost that yet.

I’ve found most of my lost items because, once I lose something, I look for it ferociously. I put all other tasks on hold and don’t stop searching and worrying until I find it. This makes me wonder why I only possess this ferocity when trying to recover a lost possession. 

Our psalmist says to seek the Lord’s presence continually. But I have to admit with some shame that I can count on one hand the times I’ve searched for the Lord as aggressively as I have for a lost item. Usually those kinds of searches only happen when my life hits rock-bottom, which thankfully hasn’t been that often. Usually I feel like I don’t need to look very far to find God. What requires more effort is setting aside time to be present with God. 

What would it take for us to put more effort into seeking God’s presence when our lives are going well? Our faith journey is often comprised of the same day-to-day steps of setting aside distractions and spending time with God. Perhaps if we looked more earnestly for God’s presence, we could see the Divine all around us. 

Consider

What distractions could you set aside today in order to seek God’s presence and spend time with the Divine? 

Pray

Wonderful God, forgive me when I search half-heartedly for you. Remind me that in you our true lives are found. Amen.



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