By Rae Lynn DeAngelis
I loved it when my mother-in-law came out to our home on the weekends, especially when the kids were little. She was a fixture in our family, spending weekends, holidays, and even a few vacations with us. Beverly (or Grandma Bev) as she was affectionately called, didn’t live terribly far away, but spending the night gave us more time together. Now that she’s in heaven, we have peace knowing our time with her was so cherished.
During Bev’s visits, she shared countless stories of when Gerry was little. As you can imagine, the kids loved hearing stories about daddy. I’m not going to lie; I loved it too. The one that I’m about to share is truly endearing.
According to Bev, Gerry loved playing hide and seek when he was little. She said that he was easy to find because all she had to do is follow the trail of evidence he’d left behind. After the obligatory countdown, Gerry’s muffled voice called out from his favorite hiding place, “Come and find me!”
Keeping the game alive, Bev took her time searching high and low pretending she couldn’t find her little boy. But after a while, she went to the kitchen (the place where she knew he would be), and after stepping over the mound of can goods scattered across the kitchen floor, opened the lower cabinet door, peered inside, and exclaimed, “I found you!”
How adorable is that!
I’m reminded that little boys aren’t the only ones waiting to be found.
“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).
God is patiently waiting to be found too. But not just found. God wants to be known.
Digging into the pages of scripture and searching out the treasure trove of truths God has hidden in plain sight for us to discover is the best place to both find, and know, God. Like avid treasure hunters who spend countless hours scouring sandy beaches and grassy fields with metal detectors, or pinging seabed floors with sonar pulses hoping to find untold treasures of long ago, we too must seek the Lord with all our heart.
For the adventurous and committed sojourners willing to go wherever, and do whatever, God holds boundless riches, stored in secret places.
“I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name” (Isaiah 45:3). “But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29).
Our Lord joyfully waits for His sons and daughters to seek first His kingdom and righteousness and offers us a great return on our investment. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
He also delights in seeing us discover the mounds of evidence He’s left behind, evidence that points us straight to Him.
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1:20)
Turns out God enjoys hide and seek too. After all, He’s the one who first invented it.
Lord, give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and minds to conceive what You have prepared for us. Point us in the right direction, strengthen our faith, and help us to trust Your higher ways. May we never stop following the trail of evidence You have hidden in plain sight for us to find. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
“Then [Jesus] turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it” (Luke 10:23).
Looking for a way to connect with God daily? CLICK HERE to check out our new daily devotional: Living in Truth Mind, Body, Spirit.
