Am I a God near by, says the Lord, and not a God far off? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? says the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord.
- Jeremiah 23:23-24
Last Sunday, my kids sat down to watch a movie in the
playroom while I took my customary Sunday afternoon siesta on the couch. When I
woke up, they were still happily enjoying the film, so I moved into my bedroom to
work on the computer for a few minutes.
Midway through an email, I suddenly heard Katherine
tearfully and frantically calling for me. Not finding me where she’d expected I’d
be (the living room couch), she started rushing from room to room searching for
me. When she found me in my bedroom, she jumped into my lap for comfort—something
in the movie had scared her.
But after a second, fear turned to indignation. “Where
were you?” she asked. “I went looking for you and couldn’t find you!”
“I didn’t leave, sweet pea,” I replied. “It just took you
a second to find me.”
It occurs to me that there are times when our attitude
toward God is a lot like my 4-year-old daughter’s—we don’t immediately see him
the moment we decide we need him, so we fear he’s left us entirely. Yet the
Lord’s nature is to be near his people, so much so that he became flesh and
lived among us. Our God is not some distant sky father; he is the one who
tabernacles among us.
When you’re scared, it’s natural and appropriate to look
to the Lord for comfort. But, especially if it’s the first time you’ve engaged
him for a while, don’t panic if you don’t find him right away. God hasn’t forsaken
you—you might just be looking in the wrong places.
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