Jan 04 2006
Here I Am!!
This is a continuation of my previous post entitled “Where Are You?”
As I was pondering the Hide ‘n Seek analogy that I discovered in Genesis, I sought to discover more about God through it. Sometimes it seems that God “hides” from me, and I wanted to know why! Then I found a verse that seemed to shed some light on the issue.Isaiah 65:1 – “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I’.”
From a historical viewpoint, in this verse, God is referring to the Gentiles and saying that He would reveal Himself to them, even though they didn’t worship Him. Yet, in this verse, something captured my heart as I began to see a glimpse into another aspect of God’s personality.
First of all, you can see that God really wants to be found by people!! He even wants to be found by those who aren’t even looking for Him! Therefore, it only makes sense that He delights to be found even more by those who are truly seeking for Him.
Now, for those who aren’t looking for Him, perhaps they need a little extra help in finding Him & they need God to jump up & down and wave His arms a little and shout “Here I am!!!” But, is God the same for those who are looking for Him? Or does He hide Himself for a while – perhaps testing to see how badly we want Him? Or does He simply enjoy seeing His people who desire Him seek Him out? Is there a greater reward for those who persevere in seeking Him when it seems that He is hiding from them? Is there greater joy in discovering Him when it requires effort on our part?
Now, if I am to be completely honest, sometimes it isn’t a whole lot of fun to look for God & feel like I’m not even coming close to finding Him. It can be quite discouraging actually – even depressing. David seems to share my sentiments and expresses His own frustration in the Psalms.
“…when you hid your face, I was dismayed.” (30:7)
“How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I … every day have sorrow in my heart?” (13:1-2)
“Why, O Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?” (88:14)
The thrill of a child’s hide ‘n seek game just doesn’t seem to be there when God is the one hiding. Instead, we wander around aimlessly, despondent & in despair. WHERE ARE YOU?? We feel rejected and lost without the sense of His presence with us.
But do we feel this way because we have a distorted view of God? Is it because we automatically assume that if He’s hiding, it means that He is angry with us or rejecting us? Maybe we’ve got it wrong. Perhaps, if we sense that He is distant, it should fill us with the thrill of the hunt, the chase! Instead of despairing, should we grow excited at the prospect of seeking Him out and finding Him?
I think I feel that excitement at times, but then, when it seems like it’s taking too long or that I am failing at my task of finding Him, I get discouraged. I usually start beating up on myself and feel that I’m not very good at this game of hide ‘n seek. I’m good at hiding from God! Just not as good at seeking for Him. And the enemy whispers in my ear, “Maybe He doesn’t want to be found by you. I think He’s probably hiding because He’d rather not be with you.”
Which is why my heart lept when I read the verse in Isaiah, because I felt encouraged by the thought that God really does want to be found by me!! And perhaps, when He sees me seeking for Him, I will finally hear Him shout, “Here I am!!”
Jacquie