I See You
Hide and seek with three- and four-year-olds takes a little patience – they want to play endlessly. Half the time they tell me where to hide or where they are going to hide. I walk around pretending to look, then out they pop saying “You found me!”
The first ‘hiders’ were Adam and Eve. Suddenly fear had entered into life – not knowing God’s reaction to what had taken place made them scamper behind a tree. As usual for that time of day, God came to be with them. He called to them as if He didn’t know where they were.
So began a generational instinct to hide when we know we’ve done wrong. Whether we hide literally or behind excuses.
Yet, God did not abandon them in their time of need. Yes, consequences were realized – still are today. When we hide from the Finder of our soul, He still calls out. Plays our game. So that we can call out to Him. For when we are most lost, He is most present – we just have to come out.
“My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, LORD, I will seek.” (Psalm 27:8 NIV) The most popular Christian hymn ever has the line “I was once lost, but now am found”. A slave trader turned God seeker saw sin for what it was and spent the rest of his life walking in plain sight, to be seen and restored by his Finder. “Was blind, but now I see.”
I wish I could convince all those still hiding, that it’s okay to come out. “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1 NLT) Jesus has made a way. There will still be earth consequences for our selfish ways. But now, through a Savior who loved us enough to die, there’s a way to stand perfectly clean before the God of the universe.
Hiding is wearisome and fruitless. I want to stand in the open where God can call out ‘I see you’ – and I in return can exclaim ‘I see YOU’. Freedom is not in having our way – freedom is in finding God’s way and trusting that He knows best. “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” (Luke 19:10 NLT) No more hiding, just seeking.
parisrenae 
I love this! 🤗 Great insights, wonderfully written devotion. Thank you! So true about hide and seek with children! 😄 You perfectly depicted the correlation between us and God. ☺️ Thanks for sharing your love of God. 😊 Rebecca
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Yes, our God has already forgiven, all we have to do is come out and acknowledge our mess up – He sees us and loves us and KNOWS us. Blessings as you seek Him and find Him.
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Amen Paris, so beautifully spoken.
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What a comfort to know He sees us and delights in us, blessings you are who are dearly loved…
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This is beautiful, Paris. We are now in the middle of constantly playing hide & seek with our 3YO granddaughter so the analogy struck home. “Hiding is wearisome and fruitless.” It sure is. Nothing is hidden from God who always waits patiently for us to come out of hiding and into His presence.
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