"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV).
Friend to Friend
"Preston, we give up! Come out from where you are hiding!" My kids were playing hide and go seek a few years ago while my husband and I were upstairs packing for a trip. Hunter and Kennedy had looked everywhere they could think of for their sly older brother, but couldn't find him. Reluctantly, they gave up. As I packed, I checked some choice spots in my walk-in closet to see if I could catch a glimpse of the victorious hider. Nothing.
Several minutes later, as I was loading toiletries into my travel case, the cabinet door beneath my husband's sink slowly opened. My contortionist son quietly and carefully crawled out from underneath the bathroom sink. He glanced my way, and with a twinkle in his eye said, "Hey mom."
"Honey, your brother and sister asked you to show yourself 10 minutes ago. Why did you stay in there so long?" I inquired.
Preston replied in a hushed tone, "I didn't want them to know where my favorite hiding spot was!"
I have to admit, I was impressed with his hiding strategy. It seemed pretty savvy for a 10 year-old. He just didn't want to be found.
In the game of life, God never hides. To the contrary, He wants to be found. He is always with us and always sees us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by the hands of One who knows everything about us. He designed us to know and to find Him. And let's be honest, girls, whether we want to admit it or not, deep inside we all want to be known and loved.
In Psalm 139, David penned sacred words that paint an amazing picture of God's stubborn presence in our lives:
"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast" (Psalm 139: 7-10, NIV).
Have you ever felt hidden from God? I can assure you today, that you are not. He sees you. No matter where you are. No matter what you have been through. No matter what you are going through. You are not alone. God knows you. God loves you. He wants to be found by you. One of the richest blessings in life is the privilege we have to know Him. Call on Him today and find Him through prayer.