Jer 29:13-14

"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive" Jer 29:13-14

When kids are little, they liked to play "Hide and Seek." I'm sure you remember the game. The person who is "it" counts to one hundred while the others find hiding places where they will not be found. My kids hid in some of the weirdest places. One actually hid in the washing machine! (Not recommended). When it was one of their times to be "it" and I had the opportunity to hide, I made sure that I could be found, usually the next day. (Just kidding)

That is the way God is. Once He was hidden, but now He can be found. Sometimes one of the kids would have a hard time finding me even though I was really not well hidden. When this happened, I would begin to laugh, or make a noise, or in a worse case scenario I would hide in plain sight. I never wanted my kids to fear that I was gone for good. God wants us to know where He is at all times. Have you ever noticed that sometimes you tend to "trip over God?"

For example, you are on a diet, God ordained, of course, and you want to "cheat" just a little. Just as you reach for the refrigerator door, the phone rings and you have to answer it because the caller ID says it is your best friend. After a conversation with your best friend, you have forgotten about your insatiable hunger and get on with life. That is "tripping over God." I'm sure you have all heard of people who were about ready to commit suicide when someone knocked on the door (or some other action) and prevented the depressed person's demise. That is "tripping over God." Sometimes the car won't start when you are on your way somewhere. When you get it started, you notice an accident in an intersection you normally cross. It could have been you, if you hadn't been delayed. That is "tripping over God."

God is not hard to find, and it becomes easier to discover Him when you call upon Him. He steps out of the obvious hiding place and stands before you, so He can be "found" by you. And here is another thought: were you ever lost from God's point of view? Sure, we have been lost in sin, separated from God. But God always knew where we were. There is no forest dense enough, no mountain range remote enough, no planet far enough away but God is there with us, even when we deny Him. He is waiting patiently for us to realize that we have "lost" our way and cry out for Him to help us.

If you are reading this and you feel lost, ask for directions and God will be your guide back to His ways. Call on Him for He can be found. Amen and Amen.