God is Hiding and He Wants You to Find Him

by Rex Rouis

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. NIV Hebrews 11:6

God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. He does not make access to Himself overly difficult but He also does not make it too easy. He loves people and desires fellowship, but it must occur on His terms. He finds no pleasure in the casual faithless seeker. He only finds pleasure in the hungry perseverant seeker. The seeker who in spite of all appearances knows in his heart that God exists and that He is a good, just, and rewarding God.

God then is not fully hidden but only semi-hidden. If He were fully hidden we would know nothing of Him. He would not have sent the Bible, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. As it is, He is found in the pages of the Bible, in the life of Jesus, and by what we know in our heart by the work of the Holy Spirit. He has always been found by those who were willing to give their all to find Him.

When you used to play hide-in-seek with your child, I bet you didn’t run away and leave town. If you really wanted to do your best to hide from your child, you would have gone out, jumped in the car, and driven off. How then did you play? You made them search for a moment or so, and then you showed yourself. Why? Because you wanted them to seek and to find you. Just enough difficulty for excitement, but not too much so that they might give up or fail. The degree of difficulty depended on the age and ability of the child. It is the same with God.

At that moment when you would come out of hiding and show yourself to your surprised child, it was the child who thought they were actually finding you. What joy on their face! What joy brightens our faces when God rewards our seeking, and we are able to behold His Glory.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

He remains out of our immediate view so that we must exert faith, but yet He is close enough to be found by the true seeker. The level of seeking is the measure of the heart. It is all about the heart.

Without faith it is impossible to please God, for everyone who searches for Him must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of all those who ultimately find Him.

Now, start looking.