Truly, You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, Savior! Isaiah 45:15

For many of us, one of the most frustrating aspects of God is the fact that He often hides Himself. A dear family member of mine who would love to believe in God struggles with the reality of Him—and His Son Jesus—for that very reason: She hasn’t yet “felt” Him.

It has been my experience that God approaches each of us in varying ways according to His wisdom—and His ways have never proven to be our chosen ways (see Isaiah 55:8). But no matter what methods He uses to draw each individual to Himself, each one of us who comes to Him enters through the same Door—Jesus Christ (see John 10:7).

Once you’ve entered through the Door, a new heart is formed in you and a new life awaits you. And yet, although all things in you have been made new (see 2 Corinthians 5:17) and you now have the mind of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 2:16), a lifelong adventure of “hide and seek” lies before you. You see, you have embraced Jesus, the Mystery of the ages, and within Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (see Colossians 2:3).

Just as pursuit is an integral component of a healthy romantic relationship, so, too, is seeking a key part of the relationship between God and you. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (see Luke 19:10); likewise, He is honored when you seek Him with all of your heart—so much so that He assures you that you will find Him (see Jeremiah 29:13). If He seems slow in answering, persist. How many men have wooed reluctant lovers only to win them over by their raw determination? And if you—like my precious family member—are experiencing the “hiddenness” of God, realize that your persistence in the search honors Him who is yet unfelt by you—and as a result, blessing and intimacy with Him are piling up to your account, ready to tip the scale and pour out upon you. At some point in your search, you will detect the tiniest mustard seed of faith within you where you never noticed it before; when you sense it, plant it in Him by asking Him into your life and the Door will open to you. And then? Joy unspeakable and full of glory will capture your heart (see 1 Peter 1:8).

And just as pursuit is an integral component of a healthy, maturing relationship, so, too, is seeking a key part of the continuing relationship between God and you. After all, in Him—Jesus Christ, the Lover of your soul—is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. It will take a lifetime—and then on into eternity—to explore and enjoy all that belongs to you in your relationship with Him. Daily He bears your burdens (see Psalm 68:19); daily you are invited to enter into new discoveries of the vastness of His unsearchable wisdom and knowledge (see Romans 11:33).

Contrary to some of the griping I’ve heard about how boring “God stuff” is, I have found unlimited treasure in Him—and I know that I’ve barely scratched the surface.

Here’s the deal. If you learned that you owned the deed to a large unmined vein of gold or a vast untapped reservoir of oil, would you be bored with that information? Would you lament how much time and effort you would have to expend to search out ways to access all that wealth?

Spiritual treasure is no different. In fact, that which God has hidden for you in Christ is not only treasure to be embraced now in this life; it extends into all eternity. Nothing—whether silver or gold or oil or all the money in a billion treasuries—could compare to even a portion of the vast expanse of all that is hidden in Christ.

Wherever you are in your pursuit of Him, be encouraged. He is the Lover of your soul and He is the limitless Treasure worth seeking out.

Dorothy

…God’s mystery…Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2a-3

…the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations…which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:26a, 27b

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Matthew 13:44

Does God seem to be hiding His presence from you? Don’t be discouraged. He Himself has not departed from you; He is close at hand and is very engaged and interested in your life.

I’ll use an illustration from my teaching days to drive this point home. A first year middle school teacher at my school had very little control over her classroom, and one young man in particular was especially challenging for her. I watched this bunch with great interest, for they would soon be advancing from seventh into eighth grade—the grade I taught.

As the year progressed, the disruptive behaviors in this class—stirred relentlessly by this one young man—grew more and more unruly, outrageous, and unbearable. Unfortunately, this new, young teacher had little support from the administration, but one day she made a very wise decision: She contacted the teen’s mother—a street-smart police officer-in-training.

Mom showed up the next day when the students were out of the room, and with the teacher’s permission, she hid in an empty classroom locker. (Did I mention that Mom was in great shape and could actually fit into a classroom locker?)

The bell rang, and soon students, loud and rambunctious, began filing into the room. The teacher called for order, and slowly—with attitude—one by one these young teens took their seats—everyone, that is, except the ringleader. He became more and more boisterous, strutting around the room, daring his teacher to do something about it. And as he danced around, a virtual one-man vaudeville act, wild and full of himself, what do you know? Out of the locker jumped his mother!

Everyone in that class roared with delight except one—the young man! Shock, horror, and awe spread across his face as his body froze in terror. That which was hidden was now revealed, in oh so many ways!

You are probably not like this young man, creating havoc in wild abandonment. You are likely disciplined—constrained by decorum and kindness—and yet God seems to be hiding from you.

Wherever you may be on the “self-control spectrum”—from completely out-of-control to rigidly self-disciplined—God is near, loving you no matter what He sees or hears.

And God is something like that mother who loved her son enough to hide, only to make her presence known in time—suddenly. Your God—though seemingly hidden—is near to you, also. And He will be faithful to reveal Himself when you most need it—and sometimes when you least expect it!

Rest assured. God—though seemingly hidden—is very near.

Dorothy

…He is not far from each one of us. Acts 17:27b

Do not fear, for I am with you… Isaiah 43:5a

One reason God hides Himself at times is to allow us to grow in faith as we trust Him and His Word without any sensory input at all.

Another reason God may hide Himself for a season from you and me has to do with the way He works out His purposes—both in our own lives and in the lives of others. The Message Bible says it this way: “Clearly, you are a God who works behind the scenes, God of Israel, Savior God.”

You may wonder why the Lord would do such a thing. You may even cite the verse in Genesis which says, “The LORD said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?’” (Genesis 18:17.) You might think, Of course God wants to reveal Himself to me—doesn’t He?

Yes, God will teach you concerning Himself, He will show you by the Holy Spirit things to come (see John 16:13), and He will be a Friend who reveals secrets to you just as He did with Abraham. However, like a seed sprouting in darkness, hidden below the ground, forming roots and all that it will need to bear fruit once it breaks through the earth, the mysteries of your life and future often need to remain underground for a while, developing a strong root system and support structure, hidden away from both your eyes and impatient curiosity. If God is hidden to you, you can rest assured that He is nonetheless at work on your behalf, forming the structures of His will and purpose for the details of your life.

Take courage in the fact that the Lord is actively working on your behalf, especially when He seems hidden!

Dorothy

“Shall I bring to the point of birth and not give delivery?” says the LORD. “Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?” says your God.  Isaiah 66:9

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

…He knows the way I take; when He has tried me I shall come forth as gold. Job 23:10

Have you ever felt as if God was absent from your life? I’m not talking about before you received Jesus as Lord of your life; I’m talking about since you’ve given your life to Him.

Let me share something that may help you—you’re not alone in this feeling. Sometimes the Living God withdraws—not His presence from your life—but the experience of His presence.

Why would He do such a thing to one of His children who so desperately longs for a touch from Him? Very possibly, one reason He does this is because we insist on “feeling” or “sensing” Him before we are willing to trust Him; we are determined to experience Him before we step out on the water by faith.

You might exclaim, But He told us He would provide all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (see Philippians 4:19), and I need Him to give me a touch, a feeling, an experience!

Your need, however, is not to feel or experience right now or God would have provided that for you. Your need at this crucial time in your life is to trust, believe, and obey without any sense of God’s presence at all. And as you choose to trust Him despite what seems to be the lack of a touch; as you choose to believe Him without any feeling of His presence; and as you take a step of obedience without any evident “Atta boy” from Heaven, you are—without a doubt—being watched, upheld, and supported by the Most High Himself.

God hides Himself from you at times to prompt you to lean on Him by faith alone—and to grow in your faith. If you’re going through a season in which He seems to be hidden from you, He is, nonetheless, very present in your life. He has not abandoned you, nor will He—ever.

Dorothy

…He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] Hebrews 13:5b, AMP

…for we walk by faith, not by sight.  2 Corinthians 5:7

Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”  John 20:29