REFOCUS
Focus on the Lord’s presence with you, taking time to admire His attributes. To do this use the names of God that come to mind, and say them softly, one per breath (i.e. Jesus, Redeemer, Great Physician, Creator, etc.)
READ
Psalm 121
The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
Psalm 105 1-5 (MSG)
Hallelujah!
Thank God! Pray to him by name!
Tell everyone you meet what he has done!
Sing him songs, belt out hymns,
translate his wonders into music!
Honor his holy name with Hallelujahs,
you who seek God. Live a happy life!
Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works;
be alert for signs of his presence.
Remember the world of wonders he has made,
his miracles, and the verdicts he’s rendered.
Psalm 5:1-5 (ESV)
Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning.
2 Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray.
3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.
REFLECT
“Tells”
I have a hobby. I’d not thought of it as one until I recently read that the Urban Dictionary defines it that way. My hobby? I’m a people watcher. At the mall. At the beach. At a restaurant or even in a foreign country, you’ll find me watching people. It’s fun.
Sometimes, I’ll try to guess what people are like based on their interactions with others. Other times, I’ll wonder where a fellow human may be headed or what they do for a living. If I find myself forced to wait at the dentist or doctor, I often turn to watching people to pass the time.
It turns out I’m not alone. Reddit has a section on favorite “people watching games.” They include challenges like “teenage mum or sister?” “Mormon or non-Mormon” and “spot the drug deal.” Wiki-how even has instructions on people watching. The site outlines nine steps that begin with, “find an area with the demographic that you want to observe.”
Social scientists have long sought to measure how accurate our perceptions are when they are formed by watching others. Though there is disagreement on how particular actions should be interpreted, it’s clear that noticing the subtle behaviors of others is one of the primary ways we come to understand them.
Small things like the shoes or jewelry one wears, the way they walk or their facial expressions can communicate a tremendous amount about who they are and what they value. I’m told that professional gamblers turn this into an art – looking for the “tells” that reveal a good hand or a bad hand of an opponent.
The Psalmist writes that he “watches for God.” At first, it may seem like a strange phrase. Just how do we “see” God? Jesus was once asked a similar question. He told the inquirer that we see God at work like we see the wind – by its impact on the world. It is the rustle of the leaves, a faint sound, a coolness on the face or the flickering of a fire that alert us that the wind is blowing. In other words, we look for those places where we see God’s purpose and character being revealed in the small changes for good.
And when should we look? As we read the Psalms we see that he looks for the Lord’s presence in the depth of his distress – even as he is “groaning.” Yet, in those times when he is shouting “hallelujah” he is also keeping “his eyes open for God,” “watching for His works,” and being “alert for signs of His presence.” It tells us that regardless of our circumstances or the strong emotions that those circumstances bring, God can show up.
Times of great joy or great distress can be times of great revelation. So in the dark times we ask, “Just where are you Jesus in this struggle? Just what is it you want to accomplish?” And in those times of joy we rejoice that God as we reflect on how God has been at work.
Learning to watch for God at work, it seems, is an important spiritual skill. It makes sense that just as we gather information about others character, purpose and intentions by watching them, we learn these things about God as we watch for Him. It is then that we can follow Him most closely.
That’s one reason why Jesus tells us that He limited his actions to what he learned by observing His Heavenly Father. He tells his disciples, “the Son can do nothing by himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”
If we are to find meaning, know God better and follow him more closely perhaps we should be intentional to begin our day like the Psalmist does – “watching for God.” We can start the day in scripture where He speaks most clearly. Yet as we go through the day meeting life’s ups and downs along the way, we can also approach them with an awareness that at any moment, in any circumstance, in any conversation, we may see His hand.
RESPOND
Questions to Consider
- How are my skills at seeking God at work?
- What are some ways I see God at work in my life right now? What is He teaching me? What might He be doing in my family? In my job? In other circumstances I face?
- Is it easier for me to see Him at work in times of joy or in times of pain?
Prayer
Almighty God,
I watch for you. I want to see You, to know You and to follow Your lead in all that I do and all that I am. Holy Spirit guide my thoughts. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Blessings,
Rev. James R. Needham, PhD, MDiv