Ichthus Ministries Daily Devotions — Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek

You have said, "Seek My face." My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek." Hide not Your face from me. Turn not Your servant away in anger, O You who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!

— Psalm 27:8-9

It's probably more fun to hide than to seek in the childhood game of that name. When the call went out to choose the "seeker," players were quick to shout, "Not it!" The one who was "it" dutifully began counting while everyone else scrambled to find the best hiding places.

In our psalm, there is only One who hides, and many who seek. God commands, "Seek My face," and people the world over have been doing that since Adam and Eve were sent out of Eden. God does provide evidence of His existence, clues so that He might be found, as the apostle Paul writes, "His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made" (Romans 1:20a). God's presence and power should be obvious, for as Paul says, "He is actually not far from each one of us" (Acts 17:27b). Still, people choose to worship and serve "the creature rather than the Creator" (Romans 1:25b), and look for God in all the wrong places.

Many people choose to find false gods and worship created things, or to create their own personal religions. Yet God has said, "Seek My face." He wants to be found. God revealed Himself in creation, in mighty acts of power, and in His Word. He revealed Himself to the patriarchs and prophets. Yet there was more to be revealed. God Himself was coming to His people. "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son" (Hebrews 1:1-2a). In Jesus Christ, "all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell" (Colossians 1:19b). Hidden in human flesh in the Person of His Son, God stepped into the world as though to say, "Here I am! Seek My face!" God Himself was hidden and, by the Spirit's power revealed to eyes of faith, in a baby in a manger, in the suffering Victim on a cross, and in the risen and glorified Lord.

God's Word reveals where He is to be found. We stand at the foot of the cross and look up to see Jesus—God the Son—bearing the weight of our sin and shame, the guilt of our selfish search for gods of our own choosing. In the witness of the Word, we see the nail-scarred hands and feet of the risen Lord. In His Holy Supper, we receive Jesus' body and blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of our sins. For the sake of Jesus, God will never hide His face from us, or cast us off. The God of our salvation will not forsake us. We sought His face, but we did not find Him. He found us.

Lord and Savior, when we were lost in sin, You came to seek and find us. Keep us strong in faith until we finally see You face to face. Amen.

Dr. Carol Geisler

Reflection Questions:

1. What kinds of games did you like playing as a kid?

2. Does God hide His face from us today? If so, how?

3. Do you think about Jesus' death and resurrection very often? When are the times you're most likely to?

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
It's probably more fun to hide than to seek in the childhood game of that name.