Hide and Seek

UV 602/10,000 Hide and Seek “ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees in the garden.” Genesis 3 v 8 When man first sinned, both man and woman hid themselves from God. They realized that they had not done a cool thing at all and they were beginning to feel the heat. God began to seek them. Man had broken faith with God. He showed he did not trust in the words of God. Instead, he trusted in the words of satan who tried to prove that God is a liar. Satan is the father of lies and by beguiling man into believing his words, he made the first man and woman his subjects. The sound of God sent them into hiding. Until then when they heard of God approaching, they would run to His arms as children run to their parents returning from an outing. Now they had attempted to run away. Their personal relationship with their Creator had become impersonal and distant. Now it was God’s turn to hide. When man could communicate with God, see Him, hear even His footfall and talk with Him, they had shown distrust. Now God made it impossible for man to see Him or communicate with Him. He hid Himself from the sight and hearing of man. Only through one process or path, could man ever again find His way back to God and that was through exercising faith in the Word of God. God revealed Himself in history from time to time through men of faith like Abraham, Moses and the prophets. He revealed His nature to them through the words He gave them. Finally, He revealed Himself in His fullness in His Son Jesus. Yet since man had broken faith with Him, only faith in the words of the prophets and the Son Jesus could restore all mankind to a personal relationship with God. Even today most of mankind play the game of “hide and seek” with God. In fact, all of us have done it at some point or phase in life. We hide and get lost in the maze of life. Then most of us seek God in a variety of ways that seem right in our eyes. Indeed, much of the history of the world is the story of man climbing the wrong tree: the tree of knowledge, the tree of power, the tree of fame, the tree of wealth and pleasure..Those of us who do not have the drive or energy to climb, remain content to watch others climb. Though we hide, there is nothing that is hidden from God. For God says, “Do not play hide and seek with Me. You will never find Me. But I can see you in your nakedness. There is only one way. My Word is my visible manifestation. Seek me in My Word. I am hidden from the world and revealed in the Word: hidden if you do not approach Me with faith, revealed if you approach Me with faith.” His promise is: “ If you seek Me with all your heart, you will find me.” Instead of finding ourselves lost in a maze, we will clothe ourselves in His amazing grace. Prateep V Philip