Hide and Seek

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I have a friend who posted on Facebook a short video of her two kids playing peek-a-boo. It is the sweetest thing. There is something about playing peek-a-boo with little kids that gives us such joy because it causes them to giggle and sometimes let out one of those kid belly laughs that just make you smile and laugh right along with them. Why the simple concept of hiding our eyes behind our hands and then pulling them away to “surprise” the child is so funny we may never understand but seeing the joy on the face of the child like they are seeing us for the first time is just precious.

As children grow older, they take the game to the next level with a good old-fashioned, low-tech game of hide and seek. With one person hiding their eyes as “it” and the others quickly dispersing to the best hiding places, it’s another version of the old standard, peek-a-boo. “3-2-1, ready or not, here I come!” the seeker yells. Sometimes, it is fun being “it.” Running around and chasing out our friends gives us a sense of power; they may have thought they had a good hiding place but we were better. Other times, however, it is hard being “it” because people have great hiding places and we get frustrated.

The Bible is full of hide-and-seek stories. The first one comes not long after creation after Adam and Eve ate of the fruit and were hiding from God in the garden. God may not have shouted “ready or not here, I come” but he did go looking for these two creations who were hiding.

Later on, we see David being chased by a number of people, hiding in caves around the area. Although his enemies are playing the usual version of hide and seek, David had his own version of the game. While he is hiding from his enemies, at the same time, he is seeking God for direction and protection. On one hand, he wants to stay hidden, but when it came to God, he wanted to be found. Luckily for David and us as well, it wasn’t hard because God always knows where we are.

Jesus talks of seeking and finding. In his Sermon on the Mount, he encourages us to seek first and foremost God’s kingdom: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33a, NIV). Later on, he tells us to “[a]sk and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8, NIV).

With God, nothing is impossible. We know that God can do anything because he created everything—but there is something God is not good at; he is terrible at hide and seek. God not good at something? Blasphemy—but think about it. God is terrible at this children’s game because he is so easy to find. He does not try to hide from us in hopes we will find him. He is waiting for us to recognize him as a part of our lives. Look around you. Everywhere you look is God. He created the flowers and trees that surround you and the people you meet on the street.

If you are feeling lost today, there is One who is always willing to be found. Even when we feel hidden away from his peace and his love, he is still seeking us. He is always looking to find us—even if it’s simply to tell us how much he loves us. He is never hidden away for all those who seek him. Seek his face today everywhere you go.

“Ready or not, here I come!” He is always seeking you. Is it time you stopped hiding and take of the role of “it” seeking him?