Craig Clouston

 The Last Place We Look

July 9

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

Psalm 105:3

They split up to cover more ground.

“Where’d you wear it last? And how long ago was that?” Tony hollered up the stairs. He and Jill had been searching for her butterfly necklace for half an hour.

Jill was determined to find it, even if that meant being late for their dinner engagement. It’s the perfect necklace for the gown I’m wearing.

Tony had checked the kitchen and downstairs bathroom. Nothing! He’d pulled the cushions from each piece of furniture and reached into every crack but had come up empty. Now in the guestroom, he began looking through drawers while asking God for patience. This is not my favorite pastime, Lord!

Jill continued searching through jewelry boxes. Still no necklace. “Any luck yet?” she hollered.

Tony reined in his frustration. “Not yet.”

Then, “I found it!” Jill hollered triumphantly and whispered, “Thank you, Jesus!” As she worked the clasp, she explained, “It was in the zipper compartment of one of my backup purses! Wouldn’t you know it, it was in the last place I looked!”

Tony couldn’t help himself, “Of course it was in the last place you looked!” he said. “You wouldn’t continue looking once you found it, would you?”

†

If we knew exactly where we’d lost something of value, we wouldn’t waste time looking for it somewhere else. We would go straight to that spot and retrieve the lost item.

So why is it that God is frequently our last resort?

Self-sufficiency is a form of pride. Yet generations have been raised by the maxims: “Stand on your own two feet,” “Buck up,” “Get in there,” “No one is going to do it for you.” We’ve become a do-it-yourself society without a lot of God sufficiency. What are we teaching our children?

David, for all his faults, constantly sought God’s wisdom and strength. No matter how many mistakes he made, David relied on God’s loving guidance until the day he died.

It is not God’s desire to be found in the last place we look.

Prayer

“I need help today and every day, Lord. Help me come quickly to stand in Your strength. Amen.”