God is Found

I saw a post on social media recently where someone was saying how frustrated he was that his buddy still wouldn't tell him where he always hid during games of hide and seek. Even though they were both adults now, the friend refused to give up the secret hiding spot "in case we play again one day." 

It was lighthearted, of course, and worth a good chuckle. But there are many folks who believe they are stuck in a perpetual game of hide and seek with God...and that He won't ever give up His hiding spot. 

Friends, God wants to be found. 

He's not like the other so-called gods of the world who dominates with His presence, overwhelms with His power, makes a scene about who He is. I mean, just think about the images you've seen of Thor and Zeus and the others - big, booming voices, hands of thunder, bolts of lightning, unmistakable presence. God's not like that. 

But He's not hiding, either. 

Remember that all the way back in the Garden, all the way back in Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve ate the fruit, it was man and woman who were hiding. Never God. God was simply walking in the cool of the day and realized that He was suddenly alone, so He went seeking. 

God hiding from us isn't even part of the curse. Our work will become toil. Life will get harder. Things will be tougher. And then, there's that whole "cherubim with flaming swords guarding the way to the Tree of Life, which we probably shouldn't eat from any more or we'll be miserable for eternity" thing. But not once does God ever say that part of the curse is that we will seek Him, but not find Him. That He will remove Himself from our presence. That we will call out and He won't answer. 

That's not the consequence of our sin. That's not the game plan.

In fact, even many generations later, when Israel as a whole is caught up in their sin and God pronounces judgment on them, He reminds them that even from Babylon, they will one day seek Him. They will be looking for Him. "And you will find Me." (Jeremiah 29:14)

You will find Me. 

Look for Me, and here I am. Desire Me in your heart, and I will be there. Open your eyes, and You will see Me. 

I haven't gone anywhere. 

Still here we are, thinking that we have to look under every tiny rock, behind every tall tree, over every mountain, through every cloud, into every strata of the earth that we walk in the hopes of catching even a small glimpse of Him - here we are, thinking that this God of ours is so good at hiding, so good at keeping us away from Him...but friends, that's not the truth. 

God wants to be found. 

You're probably just looking too hard.