To everyone else it may seem obvious, but to the person who is keen to have a relationship it can take quite some convincing to notice what is really going on.

Revelation 9:1-21

Reference:  v.20  The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshipping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood – idols that cannot see or hear or walk. (NIV Bible)

Explore:  There’s a movie that’s just come out on DVD called He’s Just Not Into You .  I believe it may be based on a relationship book that Oprah has endorsed, with the same title.  The book was written to help people work out whether someone was interested in them or not.  If you are always initiating phone calls and catch-ups and the other person never makes any effort to make contact then… he’s just not that in to you.  If you go out of your way to make the other person feel special and loved but they don’t reciprocate the affection then… she’s just not that in to you.   To everyone else it may seem obvious, but to the person who is keen to have a relationship it can take quite some convincing to notice what is really going on.
Sometimes we can be just as oblivious in other areas of our life.  I can remember speaking to someone about a job opportunity that they had been presented with.  When they had explained what the job was to entail they finished by basically saying that none of job’s tasks interested them.  When I relayed what I had heard them say they still insisted that they were so confused as to whether to take the job or not.  Now I was confused too!  I clarified with them that nothing in the job description interested them and they confirmed this was true.  ‘Then it’s a no-brainer,’ I said.  ‘Clearly you wouldn’t take on a job that did not interest you.’  ‘But it’s been offered to me so I really think that I should consider it.’  And on they went about how confused they were and how they were struggling to work out what they should do.  They were so fixated on the opportunity that they were not hearing themselves say that they would not find the job interesting!  It was no surprise to me to discover a month later that they had not taken on the job but this was after four weeks of heartache and dilemma because they had not noticed something that was so obvious to everyone else.

Application:  Here in Revelation we hear of a people who were just as oblivious to what was going on around them.  The vision John saw was of angels being sent to kill a third of humankind.  And when this pain and destruction had been released, the remaining people still did not repent and turn to the all-powerful God.  They relied on their gods who could not hear them or help them. 
I cannot help but see God in my everyday life.  I see Him in creation, in conversations, in feelings, in expressions.  He is everywhere for me.  But there are many who are blind to His existence.  He makes himself known to all people and yet there are many that still do not see Him.  He continues to move through all of creation, it’s up to us whether we are willing to sit up and take notice.

Prayer:  Lord, forgive us when we are blinded to You presence.  Help us to make more of an effort to see You in our everyday.  Amen.

Where do you see God?  Where have you noticed Him in the last 24 hours?