Hide and Seek
My sons (Casey and Ryan) love to play hide-and-seek. So when they “coerce” guests into an “in-house” version of the game, I am not surprised. What often confounds these unknowing participants is that Casey plays this game a bit differently. On a recent evening, my best friend, Yerusha, was nominated. She would count with one of the boys while the other one hid. Then the two finders would seek the hidden one. Whenever it was Casey’s turn to hide, he would without fail give his location away. After counting and warning, “Ready or not, here we come,” the finders would say, “Okay, now where is Casey.” From his hiding place, Casey would call out, in delighted anticipation, “Here I am.” Every time! For Casey, the fun of hide-and-seek is in being found. In fact, when the finders didn’t call out to him first, he called out to them, “Okay, come find me.” When he is found, he laughs excitedly and celebrates; and his joy fills the room.
When first learning to play hide-and-seek, we attempted to tell Casey that he needed to play it according to the rules -- giving away his hiding place was not how he was supposed to do it. We have come to appreciate, however, that Casey will not remain silent and “contain” his hiding place. It doesn’t matter that his method for playing hide-and-seek is not what’s expected or typical. What matters is his joy.
Casey’s behavior demonstrated to Yerusha and me something very sweet about our Lord’s nature. God absolutely relishes being “found” by us. To unbelieving hearts, God is hidden from their perception. Yet He calls out to them from His hiding place, “Come find me.” He yearns to be found. Scripture tells us that God wants all humanity to be saved and come to full knowledge of truth (1 Timothy 2:4). For those of us who have already surrendered our hearts to Jesus, He equally longs to be found by us, over and over. He himself says, “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you…” (Jeremiah 29:12-14).
So as we turn to look for the Lord (“Here we come”), He will without fail reveal himself to us (“Here I am”). And when He is found by us, He laughs excitedly and celebrates. How fortunate for us that God doesn’t play by the rules of this world! There are times when God would be well within right to remain silent and contain His hiding place from us. But because of His unfailing love for us, He does not act according to what is expected or typical in our human experiences. Whether we call to Him or not, He faithfully calls to our hearts. For to the King of kings and Lord of lords, what matters most is the joy of wooing our hearts to His hiding place. What grace!
1 Corinthians 2:7 (Amplified) But rather what we are setting forth is a wisdom of God once hidden [from the human understanding] and now revealed to us by God--[that wisdom] which God devised and decreed before the ages for our glorification [to lift us into the glory of His presence].
Colossians 1:26 (NKJV)
This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to his own holy people.
Colossians 2:2-3 (Amplified)
2 [For my concern is] that their hearts may be braced (comforted, cheered, and encouraged) as they are knit together in love, that they may come to have all the abounding wealth and blessings of assured conviction of understanding, and that they may become progressively more intimately acquainted with and may know more definitely and accurately and thoroughly that mystic secret of God, [which is] Christ (the Anointed One).
3 In Him all the treasures of [divine] wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) and [all the riches of spiritual] knowledge and enlightenment are stored up and lie hidden.
Our Father in heaven, thank You that You ache to reveal Yourself to us, that we may find You and share Your joy. Thank You that in Your mercy, You lift us into the glory of Your presence. Father, in the moments when we fail to call to You, help us hear and respond to Your delightful bidding. May our hearts never cease to seek You. In Christ’s name, amen.
Barb, with Yerusha
When first learning to play hide-and-seek, we attempted to tell Casey that he needed to play it according to the rules -- giving away his hiding place was not how he was supposed to do it. We have come to appreciate, however, that Casey will not remain silent and “contain” his hiding place. It doesn’t matter that his method for playing hide-and-seek is not what’s expected or typical. What matters is his joy.
Casey’s behavior demonstrated to Yerusha and me something very sweet about our Lord’s nature. God absolutely relishes being “found” by us. To unbelieving hearts, God is hidden from their perception. Yet He calls out to them from His hiding place, “Come find me.” He yearns to be found. Scripture tells us that God wants all humanity to be saved and come to full knowledge of truth (1 Timothy 2:4). For those of us who have already surrendered our hearts to Jesus, He equally longs to be found by us, over and over. He himself says, “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you…” (Jeremiah 29:12-14).
So as we turn to look for the Lord (“Here we come”), He will without fail reveal himself to us (“Here I am”). And when He is found by us, He laughs excitedly and celebrates. How fortunate for us that God doesn’t play by the rules of this world! There are times when God would be well within right to remain silent and contain His hiding place from us. But because of His unfailing love for us, He does not act according to what is expected or typical in our human experiences. Whether we call to Him or not, He faithfully calls to our hearts. For to the King of kings and Lord of lords, what matters most is the joy of wooing our hearts to His hiding place. What grace!
1 Corinthians 2:7 (Amplified) But rather what we are setting forth is a wisdom of God once hidden [from the human understanding] and now revealed to us by God--[that wisdom] which God devised and decreed before the ages for our glorification [to lift us into the glory of His presence].
Colossians 1:26 (NKJV)
This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to his own holy people.
Colossians 2:2-3 (Amplified)
2 [For my concern is] that their hearts may be braced (comforted, cheered, and encouraged) as they are knit together in love, that they may come to have all the abounding wealth and blessings of assured conviction of understanding, and that they may become progressively more intimately acquainted with and may know more definitely and accurately and thoroughly that mystic secret of God, [which is] Christ (the Anointed One).
3 In Him all the treasures of [divine] wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) and [all the riches of spiritual] knowledge and enlightenment are stored up and lie hidden.
Our Father in heaven, thank You that You ache to reveal Yourself to us, that we may find You and share Your joy. Thank You that in Your mercy, You lift us into the glory of Your presence. Father, in the moments when we fail to call to You, help us hear and respond to Your delightful bidding. May our hearts never cease to seek You. In Christ’s name, amen.
Barb, with Yerusha
posted by BreadBakers at 12:25 PM
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