July 31, 2016
SUMMER SUNDAY…
Hide-and-Seek
There is absolutely no doubt that our faithful God wants to be known by His people; He wants His character and His identity to be known; He wants to have an intimate, personal, forever relationship, daily fellowship, each one of us. And, we must answer the question and teach our children to answer the question…“How will we respond to God…How will we respond to Jesus?”
“But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” Matthew 19:14 NLT
I love to play with our grandchildren! One of the most exciting games we play is the old game of Hide-and-Seek, a game played by every generation of children, dating back to as early as ancient Greece. It is played by children in countries all over the world…the thrill of the counting, the hiding…and of being found!
However, I have discovered that I approach the game with a different goal and purpose. When it is my turn to hide, I must hide quickly because they always skip the correct number sequence…While I am running around the corner, I hear their words, “Ready or not, Here we come!” And they are right, I am not ready…because, my goal, my purpose, my intention is to hide so well, so creatively that they will never find me! In fact, when I have successfully found the perfect hiding place…my heart begins to beat faster when I hear them approach, calling out, “Digee, where are you?” I confess, I find myself giggling because I have been so creative in ‘the hide.’ They continue to prowl around, calling out my name…as I sit in silence waiting and giggling… I just love ‘the hide’!
In contrast, my precious grands play the game so differently when it is their turn to hide. I close my eyes to count…I count slowly…I don’t skip the sequence…as I shout out, “Ready or not, here I come.” I want to give them adequate time to find the perfectly creative hiding place so that I cannot possibly find them!
But, what I have discovered is that almost immediately, they begin to giggle…to wiggle…to call-out to me. And when I reluctantly approach their hiding places, not wanting to disappoint them when they are ‘found’, they are thrilled when they are found! They squeal with excitement as they ask to play again…and again…again…And always, it is the same…I have come to the brilliant conclusion…these grands of mine actually want to be found! That’s how they love to play the game! And, absolutely I love finding them, Because I adore them!
Hide-and-Seek-and-Find
Watching these precious children is such a blessing…and I learn amazing life truths as I observe them in their work and especially in their play. When I emphasize the hiding… their attention and their joy comes from the seeking and the finding…Remember, they want to be found!
Jesus was very clear in His instruction of His Truth, the Truth of His Father. The way into the Kingdom of God and into eternal relationship with the Father, is to become like these children…to become a person who wants to be found…who does not desire to remain in hiding, rather a person who delights in being called, and claimed…by the Savior, Jesus Christ.
I see this in my grandchildren who call out…who cry out…who seek my attention, my intention when we play the game. They delight in the relationship of connection with those who love them and who are appointed as the authority in their lives because they innately crave relationship. As children, they want to be close to those who love them. In those fun-filled moments, their greatest joy is being found. And I know our amazing Creator God intentionally made them that way…
“…unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. “Matthew 18:3
And, I have learned amazing truths from these children… If I would always have the great thrill of being found by my loving heavenly Father who literally looks for me when I am hiding, or lost…If I would crave His relationship, if I would desire Him above all others, like a child who comes with adoration, with trust, with love…and who delights in being found by a parent…who delights when loved by Jesus Christ. If only I would live my life with a heart of a child…
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12-13 NIV
Our LORD God asks that we call on Him, that we come before Him, that we pray to Him…and that we seek Him with all our heart…
Our Loving Father absolutely delights in being found…He wants to delight us…He wants to walk with us and to have relationship with His people…and I believe that His heart pounds with delight and joy when we come close to Him…when we come to Him watching for Him, looking for Him, seeking Him with every portion of our heart, our minds, our beings…and He is there.
And He promises, that we will find Him…He never leaves us…He never forsakes us…He is present, He is there, He is with us…
May we come, before our Loving Heavenly Father. May we come to Him with the heart of a child, who is thrilled and delighted to Seek-and-Find…
Blessings on your Summer Sunday and every day of your life!
Abundant Joy,
