Hide and Seek

I know we have all played the game of "hide and seek" a million times throughout or lives.  I've played it as a child and, often, played it as an adult with children or even my dog.
We hide, they find-they hide, we find. It's fun and the object is to be found.

I will tell you...the worst opponent to play this game with is God. He never hides and you can't hide from Him.  He ALWAYS knows where you are and what you are doing.  He is always there and easily found. The game should be, more appropriately, called "seek and find". 

If we seek, we find.  However, we have to open our eyes and ears-our hearts, if we really seek Him and want to find Him.  Sure...we know He is always there and that we can call on Him in a time of distress. BUT (I type that with such a loud, stern voice) if we TRULY want to find, we have to TRULY seek.  We have to remove the distractions and the clutter.  We have to remove the guilt and the shame, accept His grace.  We have to let Him take up residency in our lives and hearts.

God doesn't just want to be found.  He wants intimacy with you.  He wants you to know Him and all of His glorious character.  He wants to be present in our lives all the time, not just when we need Him.  The intimacy that is found in true surrender gives way to desire for more, deeper intimacy. Oh, I get chills just thinking about it.

2 Chronicles 15:2 (NLT) says this, "and he went out to meet King Asa as he was returning from the battle. 'Listen to me, Asa!' he shouted. 'Listen, all you people of Judah and Benjamin! The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you.'"  This is the Spirit of God speaking to Asa through Azariah son of Obed. 

God wants us to seek Him.  You may think He hides because you haven't really looked for Him.  If He hides, it's in plain site and you just need to open those scaled over eyes. I did.  I knew God, loved Him and knew He was there but it wasn't until I really started seeking Him that I found the fullness of intimacy with Him.

I continue to seek more and more of Him.  Daily, He reveals a little more of Himself to me. I delight in the moments that He speaks either through scripture, dreams, meditation, full-surrender worship or whatever means He uses.  I have found that there is no end to the "seek and find" game (if you will). 

I recently read a term that made me think deeper about what God is offering.  It's hyperekperissou hyper meaning exceedingly superabundantly beyond.  God is offering exceedingly superabundantly beyond what you will ever find in this world.  All you have to do is seek Him.  Seek Him and you shall find Him.