Devotional Thoughts : Is God Hiding? Has God Done This to Us?

God does not hide from anyone. If God seems hidden it’s because we moved away. Maybe we moved away slowly or suddenly, whatever the case, God didn’t move. God waits to be found by each one of us. God draws us unto Himself. God longs to pour peace and hope into our lives. If God isn’t doing this we have shut ourselves off. Finding God requires us to open ourselves up and this requires transparency about what’s become a barrier between ourselves and God. Or, sometimes it’s a simple misunderstanding.

For example, I was asked recently if God has stricken us with COVID-19 or is the devil doing this? My answer is I’m not willing to give credit to the devil for this and I do not believe God causes us suffering. We suffer because we live in a broken world. We are no longer in the Garden of Eden. If I were stricken with cancer today I wouldn’t blame God or the devil. Cancer is simply a part of the world I live in. Yes, this virus is terrible. If I misunderstand these things I start to believe things that go against the truths of God’s Word. I might believe God is out to get me, for example.

Misunderstandings can separate us from God. It’s important to get at the root of why we choose to hold God at a distance. If I can be honest with myself it’s probably a deep hurt that blame God for. Once I discover it I can unpack it and revise my thinking.

It’s so important to read the Bible and act on its teaching. These verses in Jeremiah remind me today that God hears. God hears me. God will hear you. God longs to reveal Himself to us. God isn’t playing hide and go seek with us. He awaits connection with us.

In times like these I imagine many more people are calling on the Lord. God mercifully takes the hand of the one who seeks Him. God gives a liberal amount of grace to each one of us. We do not need to fear.

Finding God has been the #1 highlight of my life. There’s nothing greater. Because I’m a transformed human I can see these circumstances through a different lens. Christians do not seek to put themselves first. Our priorities are God first and then people. We are servants to God and mankind. Should I begin to feel anxiety I know it comes from a root of selfishness deep within me. I know this is the human struggle of placing myself or God first. Anxiety comes from a fear of what will happen to me or those I love. It’s a fear of pain and suffering. If I’m fighting someone for toilet paper my actions are screaming that I’m more important than the person I’m fighting. In God’s eyes we are equally important.

In these days we have the opportunity to pray and seek God with all our hearts. Some might be even more afraid to seek God than they are to get COVID-19. Christianity has always been contagious. May God move in tremendous ways in the coming weeks through our communities of faith as we reach out to others. May we obey our Lord’s teachings no matter what. May we value people more than ourselves as Jesus did.