News sources, blogs and internet sites splash sensational headlines, but how many times have you slowed your scrolling only to discover that the story itself is, shall we say, less than compelling?  That’s because writers today know that the headline is the most crucial part of a story. If a teased topic can’t generate enough interest for a user to give it a click, the post is essentially irrelevant.

How much of that cultural strategy carries over into your attitude about God? Do you only pay attention to what’s on the ‘headlines’ while ignoring what He is writing in the smaller and less noticeable ‘fine print’ of your life?

A relationship with God is full of nuances. While His messages can come in highly visible and unmistakable ways, like through visions and miracles, more often He uses ordinary avenues which require that we pay attention carefully. Many of His methods aren’t flashy like hearing a voice from a burning bush (Exodus 3) or being struck blind while traveling on a business trip (Acts 9), so we have to learn to intentionally look away from the loud and fantastic to see His subtle movements in places that we might not expect them to be. While He can, when necessary, use more dramatic means, His goal is for us to be so deeply aware of His movements that we can gently discern Him say “this is the way walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21).

During your reading this week, you may have noticed that God’s name isn’t directly mentioned in the book of Esther a single time. As you finish up this story, think about how you saw God moving in the background. What encouragement can you take away from this that will help you continue in faithfulness during times when there don’t appear to be any ‘headlines’ in your life?