“You will find Me if you search for Me with all your heart,” states Jeremiah 29:13. So the question in the heading is does God play games? This eye-catching title has to do with God seemingly playing the old hide and seek game that we used to play as children in the sweltering heat of the day many years ago. Well, of course, God does not play games like that but He does have a desire for fellowship and trust. God wants us to trust His love for us. He wants to bond with us. So, in a sense of hiding and seeking, He hides revelation so that we are thirsty and hungry enough to seek after that revelation.
The context of Jeremiah 29 is all about Israel in captivity. The word from Jeremiah in verses 11-13 speaks hope to a people who were in great despair because they disobeyed their God and began to trust in false prophecies of a sudden deliverance from their oppressors. But how does the promise of verse 13 apply to us today? This verse can apply to the backslider or anyone who desires to find a relationship with God. For those of us who have accepted Jesus as Lord, I believe it is about the search. It is actually what we learn throughout the seeking process that really counts. God knows everything but yet He does not tell us everything we need to know at once about our life situations. He wants us to ask, seek, knock on a continual basis. Why? Because He loves us and created us for Himself. As we worship and as we seek His perfect will through His word (written and rhema), we continue the bonding process. So, let the games begin.
I want the Spirit of the Lord to continue to reveal to me how to search for God! Be encouraged and be diligent in your search for God ‘s will for your life. For example, I have an upcoming dance workshop to teach during July this year. It is now May 1st; however, I have already begun to ask God which songs to use and exactly how to format the workshop. Sure, I could pick any song and format the workshop in any manner, but if I pray and seek God’s wisdom, He will eventually speak to my heart and show me exactly which songs and format will work best for who is going to be attending. I have no idea who will be there but the Holy Spirit does! So in the midst of the search, there is a voice, there is peace, there is intimacy. I gain more than just a few songs and some choreography, I gain more of His heart. Are you a seeker? Do you love to play hide and seek with the Lord?
Denise Cook Godfrey
Minister/Author/Playwright/Liturgical Dance Instructor