When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 

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 of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” ~ Genesis 3:6-9

Hide and seek is such a wonderful children’s game. Everyone hides while the seeker who is “it” counts to ten and then shouts, “Ready or not, here I come!” The seeker searches all the good hiding places hoping to discover friends who, when flushed, will rush toward home base with the seeker in quick pursuit.

God may have invented this game in the Garden of Eden, where there must have been many good hiding places. We read in Genesis 3:8-9 “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 of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?””

Hiding and seeking seems to be part of our nature. We are forever looking for what we need, and then, when we find it, we are off after more because … what if this should run out? In our seeking we may get lost in the brambles and thickets of life. Fortunately, seeking is part of God’s nature, too. Our God is a seeking God. He knows our best hiding places, yet his grace covers us as he allows us to live a life seeking Him.

Imagine if God didn’t come looking?!

Activity

• Game: Switch off the light in a room you can make totally dark. Then enter the room, and with eyes open, feel for the light switch in the dark. (You are “seeking with eyes open.”) Now, close your eyes, and feel your way to the light (switch). Which way of seeking worked better?
• Repeat the eyes open/eyes closed seeking with other things in the darkened room.
• How does it feel to seek in the dark? Which way is it easier, by sight or by touch?

Reflection

• Life can be a low light or even dark experience. Scripture tells us that God leads by faith and not by sight. For we walk by faith, not by sight. ~ 2 Cor 5:7 (NKJV) What are you looking for? When you close your eyes, what do you see?
• Scripture tells us, even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. Psalm 139:12. What must our seeking look like to God who sees perfectly?
• What does that suggest about the nature of God?

Prayer

Oh thank you God for coming to look for me. I have taken so many wrong turns, I’ve often lost my way. You are the way, the truth and the light. Remind me that if I stay still for a while, I will hear you call to me. Even in the dark you’ve made a way for me to find you.