“Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God and Savior of Israel.“ (Isaiah 45:15, NIV)
Do you ever feel like your prayers don’t make it past the ceiling? Ever feel like God is nowhere to be found? If you’ve walked with God very long at all, I know you’ve felt this way – we all have.
In fact, I heard of a young man this week who is out “sowing his wild oats” because he’s mad at God. It seems God didn’t answer his prayers the way this kid wanted. That’s the way young men think (this guy will come around, he’s got a foundation in the Word and great parents). The older you get, the more you look back and think, “Boy am I glad God didn’t answer THAT prayer!” It brings us back to Isaiah’s point: God is often hidden from us.
But go back and read the rest Isaiah 45 and you’ll see an impressive list of God’s activity in the world – causing the rise and fall of nations, toppling armies, defeating kings, stretching out the heavens, forming the earth. None of that activity is hidden…and yet we often don’t see God in it. It turns out, God does hide…but he hides in plain sight. The trick is simply knowing what – or who – to look for.
If you want to know how and where to look, this will be the topic of my sermon on Sunday. Until then, let me leave you with this promise…God may seem hidden at the moment, but “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.“ (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV)
See you Sunday…and bring a friend who is seeking!
