Hide-and-Seek
By Jeannine
Sawall
“You will seek me
and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah
29:13 (NIV)
I
had a dog who loved to play hide-and-seek. While it may seem strange, it really
was one of her favorite games. I would hide somewhere in the house and she
would look for me until she found me. When she did, it was my job to throw the
ball for her to retrieve and find a new hiding place as she was off fetching
the ball. She would then systematically go back to each of the spots she had
found me in before and if she didn’t find me there, she would begin to look in
new places. Her persistence in searching for me was so different then when I played
this game with my small children. My kids liked to play only if they could
quickly and easily find me. My dog never got tired or bored looking for me if
my hiding spot was a little more challenging. She would continue to search
until she found me.
While
my hide-and-seek dog has passed away, recently these memories made me realize
how much I can relate this game to a relationship with the Lord. While we walk
through our spiritual lives, there are times when it seems the Lord has hidden
Himself from us. We may desire to seek Him out, but oftentimes we grow
impatient and get tired of trying to “find” Him. Or we go back to where we
“found” Him the last time and not look for Him in a new way or place. We may
grow frustrated and feel as though the heavens are brass and He is hiding
Himself from us and not to be found. That is so far from the truth!
The
truth is, God loves to be found by you and by me. He is not keeping Himself
hidden from us, but surrounds Himself with His glory calling us to His side. He
will be found by those who are seeking Him with all their heart. While it may
be our inclination to seek Him out where last we found Him, sometimes we need
to find Him in a new place. Our job is to continue to search for Him from place
to place. He is waiting for us and encouraging us to keep seeking! We must
guard our hearts so as not to become bored or frustrated, saying He can’t be
found; we must press in, press on and enjoy the journey. He is waiting to be
found!
GOING DEEPER:
1. Where in your life do you need to keep
seeking after the Lord?
2. How do you
respond when you feel like the Lord is hiding from you?
FURTHER READING:
Jeannine
is a wife and mother of four active boys. She works in property management and
actively walks along those experiencing grief.
