When you have a children’s message in worship, things don’t always work out the way you planned them. A number of years ago I was trying to share with the kids that even if we cannot see God with us, we always have His Word speaking to us. After a few words of welcome and introduction, I held a  large white sheet in front of me so the children could not see me. I had carefully positioned my hands so that they could not be seen as well. Then I continued talking to the children, which invoked some giggles and laughter. I asked if they knew who I was, and they said “Pastor.” Then I asked, “How do you know it is me if you can’t see me?”  A little fellow named Jon said very loudly, “I can see your shoes!”

Now whether or not he could actually see my shoes is open for debate, but the entire congregation erupted with laughter at that point. And even though it changed the message I was trying to deliver that day, Jonathan made an important point. We have lots of evidence of God’s presence in our lives everyday. A beautiful sunrise. A powerful storm. The cycle of nature with new life every spring. All the marvels of the universe.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

While nature and the world around us tell us there is a God who is in control of everything, it is Scripture that tells us who He is. So many cultures have come to a conclusion that someone or something is in control, and have developed ways to try to appease this “god’s” anger through sacrifice and ritual and obedience. They did not have the true God’s revelation of Himself in His Word to instruct them.

We know from Scripture that God loves us and wants the best for us, so much so that He did what was needed to rescue us from the condemnation our sins deserve. In the Bible we discover this simple truth:  God is love (1 John 4:8). That love showed up when Jesus came to live among us, took on human flesh, lived without sin, and paid for the sins of the world with His death. His victorious resurrection on the third day destroyed death’s power over us, and assures us of eternity with our loving God.

As you see evidence of God in the world around you today – His shoes, if you will – remember what He has told you about Himself in His Word, and rejoice in that Good News.