“Where are you?”
Are you hiding from the Lord? Have you come to a place where you think He doesn’t see you or has forgotten you? Is the LORD in the most intimate place with you?
In the grand tapestry of the human experience, there are moments when we find ourselves playing a game of hide and seek with the LORD. It's as if we're crouched behind the bushes of our doubts, convinced that God's gaze might just pass us by. But oh, how easily we forget that even in our hiding, He sees us; El Roi.
Genesis 3:9 poses a profound question from the Almighty: "Where are you?" It's not a question of physical whereabouts, for He knows the very dust from which we were formed. No, it's an invitation to introspection, a gentle nudge to confront the places in our hearts where we've erected barriers between ourselves and God. The women’ retreat I just came back from focused on this question, “Where are you?”. Dani, our guest speaker and very own Tracer, posed this questions to the nearly 100 women from our church who carved out time to meet with our maker.
"Where are you?"
It's not a question of physical whereabouts, for He knows the very dust from which we were formed. No, it's an invitation to introspection, a gentle nudge to confront the places in our hearts where we've erected barriers between ourselves and God.
In our moments of doubt and despair, it's easy to feel as though we've slipped through the cracks of divine attention. We might be tempted to cloak ourselves in fear or shame, hoping that our vulnerability remains unseen. But here's the twist: God is not just the master of the universe; He's also the ultimate seeker in our game of hide and seek. No matter how cleverly we conceal ourselves, He always finds us.
Consider the irony of our attempts to hide from the One who fashioned the depths of the universe. It's like trying to blend into a crowd while wearing a neon sign proclaiming our presence. Yet, in His infinite grace, God pursues us with a relentless love that pierces through the shadows of our doubt.
But let's not stop at the narrative of Genesis 3; let's journey onward to the Psalms. Psalm 139:7-10 reminds us, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."
Buena Vista, CO
Somewhere up on the mountain….oblivious to what was about to happen.
Little did we know after taking this picture that we would be confused as to where we were. The trail map and reality didn’t quite match up. We went too far while pondering my prompt to consider the Bible verse we had talked about earlier that day. I asked the group, as we continue on, let’s consider, “where are you in your walk with God?”
** Shortly after this picture we realized we went to far but the trail was just down the other side….we just didn’t realize how far down. So we jokingly laughed to each other, “Where are we God?” He knew and He was probably giggling at our mistake. (Don’t worry we were safe and had lots of cell phone connection and supplies in case danger happened.) We made it back with only 3 miles under our belt but full of laughter and stories.
From the garden to the furthest corners of creation, God's presence knows no bounds. He's not just a distant observer; He's the ever-present companion walking alongside us in every step of our journey.
In Genesis 16, Hagar, a marginalized Egyptian slave, encounters God in the wilderness and names Him "El Roi," meaning "the God who sees me." Despite her lowly status, God sees Hagar in her distress, hears her cries, and provides for her needs. He reminds her she is seen, heard, and loved beyond measure.
So, dear seeker, if you find yourself crouched behind the bushes of doubt, take heart. You're not hidden from the Divine; you're cradled in His loving embrace. Let go of the illusion of separation and embrace the truth that you are seen, known, and cherished beyond measure.
Let's approach our hide and seek game with God not with fear or trepidation, but with childlike wonder, innocence and trust. For in the end, the greatest discovery we'll make is not in our hiding but in His seeking. Let’s us be known by Him.
