I loved playing hide and seek with my children when they were little. My son was the champ. He had a huge imagination, could fit in any place and this usually energetic louder than most children would become still and a mute. My daughter would get so mad that she couldn’t find him. She would call and call looking everyplace she could think of and still could not find him.
I must confess that I loved the fact that he would hide so well. I would take that time to have a much-needed break or yes even eat a cookie with out the fear of being found out.
After a very nice break I would join in the fun and look for my son . Most of the time I could find him with ease but on a few occasions I would need to call his name with a promise we would close our eyes if he would just come out. He then so stealthy would appear, sometimes I never did find out where he was.
How many times do we feel like we are playing hide and seek with God.
We walk around calling and calling out looking for him and getting mad and even sad because we can not find him. We keep up the search but still nothing. We know he must be there but in times of our valleys it is as God is someplace off hiding that can never be found. We feel alone and wonder why.
If only during this time we STOP our exhausting search, call out and be still. God will show himself. He will never leave us but we are the ones that walk around in search getting more upset and forgetting that He is with us all along.
The Bible is full of this frantic search from old to new testament so many examples of people in their valleys and then God shows himself and comforts.
We just celebrated Easter and I am reminded of Thomas who gets a bum rap for not believing Jesus was alive. Thomas was overcome with grief and had to hear all others talk of seeing Jesus now that would have left me feeling left out, mad and perhaps wondering where Jesus was and why if he was alive he didn’t just come out and show himself.
In John 20:26 We see Thomas not searching but was still and in a room when Jesus came to him. Jesus knew what Thomas needed and showed up in a big way and gave it to him. I also found that in verse 28 it is the first time recorded that Jesus is addressed as “My Lord and my God” this was said by Thomas he realized what we all sometimes forget.
Next time you are feeling alone and thinking you need to keep searching just stop, breath and know God is there just ask him to show himself but the trick is to wait until he does.
“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:”
Isaiah 55:6