As a kid, I was never that fond of the game Hide and Go Seek. I don’t know why. It just seemed a futile activity to me, you know, running around trying to find the perfect hiding spot. Then holding your breath hoping that your breathing would not give away your location to whoever was selected as the seeker. And then the worst part, if you were found, being tagged by the seeker and brought back to the group like the spoils from war or something. Maybe because it all just seemed so aggressive to me. My nature is more laid back, almost like sheep, which brings me to my reflection for today.
A devotional I was reading last week was based on Psalm 23. As you know, David wrote this Psalm describing how God cares for us as a Good Shepherd. David, having experience as a shepherd, used the analogy of shepherding sheep to paint a picture of how we are like sheep and how God gently guides us. Notice I said gently. None of that rough stuff like in the Hide and Go Seek game. Like sheep, we sometimes wander off. We aren’t necessarily intending to hide but the outcome is the same. We go off and the next thing we know, we have lost our way and we cannot get back on track. We need to be found. Heck, sometimes we are so far off that we do not even know that we need to be found! But our Good Shepherd knows. Aren’t you glad that God is always on the job?! None of this quiet quitting that we hear about today in the workforce.
We know that a good shepherd will go after the one that is lost, even when he has the other 99 all secured. It’s the same with us. Nothing and no one is wasted with God. We are all created in His image and in my own sanctified imagination, I like to think that God feels a little out of sorts when one of His is missing. Doesn’t that make you feel loved to know that God cares and He will search for you when you’re lost? He’s just as happy to have found you as you are to be found by Him.
My little granddaughter Parker is one and a half years old. One of her favorite things to do is play Hide and Go Seek. How ironic is that! But as I’ve matured, I see the game differently now and actually enjoy it with her. Here’s why…a few weeks ago while studying the Old Testament, I read 2 Chronicles 15:2 “…the Lord is with you when you are with Him. He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.” God does not hide in corners holding his breath and hoping that you do not find Him. He lets us find Him. He lets us. He wants us to find Him.
When Parker and I play now and she takes off running to find me, I stand in the most obvious spot and let her find me. I don’t hide and make her search and get frustrated. I let her find me. Her squeals of joy warm my heart as she runs to me and hugs me tight. I bet that’s how God feels too when we’re searching and He lets us find him.
Let’s pray…
Father God, thank you for being our Good Shepherd. Thank you for your providential care. Thank you for caring for us when we didn’t even know we were out there and needed to be cared for. Thank you for making your Word plain and being accessible to us. Give us Lord a seeking spirit to look for you in all that we say, think, and do. You are never far from us Lord. Help us to desire to be never far from You. Amen.
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