Something is Missing

Something is missing.  What can it be?  Oh, yes.  It’s the State Fair that is missing this year.  The Great Minnesota Get-Together has been canceled for 2020 because of the Coronavirus.  Of course, many people are extremely disappointed because this event is missing.  Isn’t it interesting that we are disappointed, sometimes frustrated or even annoyed when something is missing?  It is not just the State Fair, but lots of other things that may be missing from time to time.  For example, I may forget to put my wallet in my pocket in the morning before leaving the house for the day.  When I discover it is missing, I am frustrated because it contains my driver’s license, a little bit of money and a couple of credit cards.  I may fail to insert an important word or thought in a document on which I am working.  As a result, the missing word or thought not only frustrates me but it adds additional work for me as I redo the document.  When I fail to reset my cellphone from the “do not disturb” mode and I miss an important call from a person at an organization which I needed to personally talk with, I am upset.  When something is missing, I generally do not have a good day.

This year is very unusual as lots of things are missing.  For example, we no longer can walk into a business establishment without a mask.  A store that sells goods or services that we have enjoyed in the past is closed and out of business.  We are not allowed to gather in large groups.  These things are discouraging and a little bit frustrating.  However, should the fact that any of these things are different or missing be of great concern to us?  As much as some of these missing things are a disappointment they should probably not be of great concern.

I am so glad that when it comes to God, nothing is missing.  He is completely adequate to take care of us and to meet all our needs.

1)      God’s love is not missing.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  His love is always available for everyone and at any time.

2)      God provision is not missing.  II Peter 1:3 tells us, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”  We can think of several things that we need.  However, many of those “needs” are simply “want” items.  The scripture further notes, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

3)      God’s purpose is not missing.  “Christ is the sacrifice that takes away our sins and the sins of all the world’s people” (I John 2:2).  God took the debt of sin that you and I owed and provided His one and only son, Jesus, to die on the cross on our behalf to pay the penalty of our sin.  Romans 5:8 continues, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

What should we do when something is missing?   We should remember all the things that God provides for us which are not missing.  In addition, we should recall that:

1)      God wants our focus to be on Jesus.  Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”  The easiest thing for us to do is to focus on the wrong thing.  When our emphasis is on what is missing we forget the thing that is most important.

2)      God wants us to be thankful in all things.  I Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  Whether things are in place as usual, whether they are different, or even permanently or temporarily missing we should be thankful.