My grandson loves to play hide and seek. He’s two years old and doesn’t really understand the whole concept of staying hid. He will go hide and then I will start saying something like, “Where’s Hudson? I wonder where he can be?” Of course, the whole time I already know where he hid. He will reply, “I’m in here under the table!” He won’t come out, mind you. He will stay right where he is until I find him. There are a lot of giggles and hugs when I stoop down to come face to face with him. Then he will want to immediately play again and will go right back to the same place he hid before. I guess he loves the game of hiding, as long as he knows for sure someone will find him.
I’m sure the day will come when he is older and he will hide, not letting anyone know his whereabouts. He’ll really understand the idea behind the game and will be creative in the places he chooses. We will really have to seek for him without his voice to lead us to himself.
I have to admit I enjoyed the game myself when I was younger. I enjoy playing with Hudson as well, just because of seeing the enjoyment he gets from receiving my attention.
Did you know God enjoys playing hide and seek with us? Life gets so busy that we often lose the joy of everyday living. Many times it’s our quiet time with God that we omit from our schedule because of all the things we are involved in. We all need to learn to make our time with God a priority, not something we do only after everything else has been handled. We need to spend time one-on-one time with our Father. It’s a time of refreshing and yes, enjoyment, to be in His presence and hear Him speaking and teaching from His Word. David understood what it meant to seek to spend time with his God. As we seek out time with Him, we receive His protection and all the blessings of a close relationship with Him.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1
David went on to tell us God’s point of view of us searching Him out. God promises as we call out for Him, He will answer.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. Psalm 91:15-16
Just like Hudson craves the attention and wants to share an enjoyable time with me, we need to desire to spend time seeking the presence of God. Sometimes as we go through certain things, it is us that calls out to God, seeking His comfort and help, just as Hudson will call out to me to let me know where he is so that I can easily find him. At other times, it is God calling out to us, wanting to teach us His truth and to guide us to do His will. When that happens, we need to be willing to answer Him and go straight toward the direction He is calling from and leading us to.
When Hudson gets older he will not let us know where he is hiding. As we mature in Christ, we learn that it is just as important to seek time with Him and just be silent. We ought to go into His presence not for the purpose of asking for something from Him, but just to listen to Him, to praise and worship Him simply for Who He is.
When I play with Hudson, I always know exactly where he is. God also knows where we are all the time. There is nothing hidden from Him. We can be assured of the fact that He always will meet our needs exactly where we are. Another Psalm I really like that speaks about this is Psalm 139.
O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.
19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
20 For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
So yes, God loves for us to hide in His presence, to seek after Him. And He will seek us out as well. On the negative side, sometimes we try to hide from Him when we have sin in our lives. Those times are not enjoyable. I remember when I was young and I played hide and seek, there were times when I hid too well. No one could find me. It wasn’t nearly as fun to sit and wait in my hiding place only to have no one come. I eventually would reveal myself to find that the “seeker” had stopped seeking. Although God will never “lose” us, He will allow us to do things on our own for a time until we realize that the joy and peace we long for can only be found in Him. When we once again seek Him out, He is ready to allow us to hide under His wing.
I love spending time with my grandchildren and cherish the fact they desire my attention. So many things I do with them remind me of the truths of having a relationship with God. So take the time to hide and seek with God. Hide in the shadow of the Almighty and seek time enjoying His presence. God deserves the attention and we reap the blessing.