June 3, 2026

Viewing all things through the lens of the True and the beautiful!

The True

In Plain Sight

He was hiding in plain sight. The longer it took to find him and all the other people hiding with him, the more convinced we were Uncle Tom and his team were cheating. He had to be, because we had checked every hiding spot on the property . . . twice.

I was around 10 years old, and Uncle Tom became a hide-and-seek legend that night. Truthfully, we were past the point of giving up. We were merely walking the property together as a team to ward off the uncomfortable feeling of searching it alone with so many people theoretically still in hiding, but seeming to have disappeared. We even sent one of our teammates inside to check with the other adults (Uncle Tom was already a hero for being the one outside playing with us in the dark), but no, nobody from the other team had come inside.

It was as though they had vanished . . .

. . . until I literally tripped over Uncle Tom lying quietly prone into one of the gentle grassy upslopes in the yard.

My heart nearly fell out of my chest! Uncle Tom’s team had not been in a hiding spot at all! In fact, they were “hiding” in about the most plain and open space on the entire property! It is true the long, dark shadows of the night aided their plan and made it difficult to see them unless you literally tripped over them, but at the same token, the only possible way to miss them was to neglect to look for them in the places that were in plain sight!

Our team had spent what felt like an eternity looking in and behind every tree, under every bush, and around every corner. Every place with the potential to conceal had been explored. The only square footage of the property left unchecked were the few places where there was nowhere to hide. As a result, hiding in plain sight turned out to be a winning strategy, not because of superior concealment but due to a lack of searching out.

I remember that night well—and fondly—and I’ve reflected on more than a few lessons from it, some of which are included in my book In Search of the King. But I tell the story now to ask you a related question:

“What treasure from God’s Word is hiding from you in plain sight?”

The unidentified psalmist who penned the longest chapter in the Bible said it this way: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (Ps. 119:18).

There are treasures aplenty in God’s Word. It is to your glory to search them out. They are tucked within parables, letters to the early Church, and even in genealogies. If you look for them, you will find them!

And truthfully, the key to finding them is a consistent discipline of being in God’s Word and asking Him to open your eyes to its Truths hiding in plain sight.

Be faithful to be in His Word. Explore the corners of it, yes, but also simply be in the regular arc of His story and ask Him: “God, open my eyes to the wonderful things from Your law that You have for me today!”

Not every search is difficult or complex if you are searching in the correct place and asking for eyes that can see. God, open our community’s eyes to wonderful things, both those hidden and those plain. Allow us to see what we are currently missing but which is hiding in plain sight!

U.S.

Primary Shakeup

Less than two weeks after U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (LA) was defeated in his Republican primary for reelection, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (TX) was defeated 64%-36% in the U.S. Senate Republican primary by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Sen. Cornyn has been in the Senate for 24 years and was the second-highest ranking Republican in the chamber until his defeat. Paxton will now face Texas state Rep. James Talarico in one of the most watched general elections for U.S. Senate in November.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Primary season always has the potential to shift the preconceived outcome of the general election, and this year’s results have certainly done so. The defeat of Cassidy and Cornyn marks at least a changing of the guard for Senate Republicans, and Democrats hope it boosts their chances to take the Texas seat. In the U.S. House, Rep. Thomas Massie (KY) also lost a high-profile Republican primary after President Donald Trump endorsed his opponent.

As a Jesus follower, these results may align with your political perspective or they may not. If you reside in LA, TX, or KY, they certainly have an impact in how you are represented in the federal government, and you undoubtedly felt the advertising impact as the races came down the stretch to election day.

No matter your political persuasion, however, Election Day is more of a mile marker in your mission than a finish line. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the mission and mandate you have as a Jesus follower, persists in every political environment and across all partisan divides. Whether you find yourself victorious or vanquished in a political sense today, your mission remains the same as it was last week, last month, and last year: “Go and make disciples” (Matt 28:19).

Every election is routinely billed as “the most important election ever.” But you have already been tasked with the Great Commission, and you don’t have to wait for the election season to walk it out!

U.S.

300 Gold Bars

A now-former CIA agent aptly named David Rush is believed to have stolen more than 300 gold bars from his workplace. The loot, worth more than $40 million, was recovered by authorities from his home, and the agent was charged with criminal theft of public money. According to authorities, the crime took place over several months and was conducted under the ruse of “work-related expenses.” Rush is also accused of exaggerating his education and job qualifications, and awaits prosecution.

Analysis and eternal perspective: This story could be the plotline for a movie. Gold bars, the CIA, a heist from the federal government, falsified credentials—it all feels larger than life and too outlandish to be true.

Honestly, for those of us who don’t work in the intelligence space, it is also staggering to consider a work environment where 300 gold bars is a realistic request for “work-related expenses.” That’s just a bit beyond the periodic replacement of a laptop or a printer!

What a waste, as well! Despite the enormous monetary value of the stolen goods, all of it is earthly treasure that will rot and pass away one day (Matt. 6:19-21). It is temporary and fleeting, and those whose hearts are set on it will be catastrophically compromised.

Instead, lay up treasure in heaven! How? It is pretty easy, actually!

Feed someone.

Befriend someone.

Clothe someone.

Care for someone.

Visit someone.

These simple instructions from Matthew 25:35-40 are far easier to follow than acquiring 300 gold bars! Yet the payoff is infinitely higher and yours forever!

U.S.

Rocket Explodes

A massive explosion shook the Florida coastline Thursday when a rocket owned by Blue Origin went up in flames during testing. The rocket was not set to launch until next week, but malfunctioned and exploded after refueling (see the massive fireball here). Blue Origin is a private company that participates in NASA’s Artemis program, which recently successfully sent four astronauts around the moon, and which aims to land on the moon in the coming years.

Analysis and eternal perspective: First, we praise God for no fatalities or injuries. Given the massive size and scope of the explosion, this is significant cause for gratitude!

Next, this story illustrates the significant danger of space exploration, a fact that always sits on one side of the decision scale when determining whether and how to explore space. On the other side of that scale are tremendous achievements and potential in learning, communications, and all manner of additional disciplines.

As Jesus followers, you and I comprehend only the tiniest sliver of the miracle of creation! Mankind has visited exactly zero planets other than the one we inhabit, and if you want to make your head hurt, tune in to one of the many ongoing debates about the total number of planets. But be forewarned you will be dealing with numbers in the hundreds of sextillions, and that is simply for the tiny portion of the universe we’ve been able to observe!

It is beyond our comprehension! But this much we know: God is bigger than big, you are smaller than small, and yet He knows the number of hairs on your head (Lk. 12:7)!

Also, can you imagine the day when you will have eternal access to the new heaven and the new earth (Is. 65:17, Rev, 21:1)? No, me either! But that day is coming, my friend! So as our human efforts to explore more of the universe experience ebbs and flows, remember you will soon know in full (1 Cor. 13:9-12)!

The Beautiful

Have Shell, Will Travel

Sticking with the theme of hiding in plain sight, there is much in your world from which you should seek cover! What a beautiful blessing that your shelter is portable and even omnipresent (Ps. 91)! You are free to come out of your shell because you abide under the protection of the Almighty!