God Doesn't Conceal. He Reveals.
Sometimes it feels like I don’t see God, even when I read the Bible. I want answers, resolution and comfort to jump off the pages and make me feel better. I might find scripture that says pretty things. Or I might see a social media post that feels inspiring or temporarily encouraging, but that feeling is fleeting as I continue to scroll. Unfortunately, that’s because a lot of times, I’m making it about me and not God.
I’m not saying it’s bad to read and find the beauty in scripture. It’s also not bad to be inspired by encouraging quotes. What I am saying is, when I read and think about me, I’m missing the bigger picture of recognizing God. And when we recognize God, we’re going to see Him much more clearly in our daily lives and those challenging circumstances.
What I like about Deuteronomy 4:29 is the reminder to search for God with all my heart. I tend to look at my circumstances through the my own vision. When I’m running late and I see a long line of traffic, I’m annoyed. When I just finish laundry and I blink and I see more, I’m frustrated. When I see the same unanswered prayer, over and over, I don’t see God.
What I’m not seeing is the overall beauty of who God is any of these situations. It’s hard to look beyond the circumstances right in front of us. But God isn’t trying to hide from us…especially in His own Word. And He wants nothing more than for us to be deeply rooted and connected to Him. He wants us to experience joy, even in our frustration and our lack of understanding.
God shows us who He is in His Word and in the world around us. He shows us His character all throughout the Bible. He shows us His beauty in a multitude of ways.
When we feel like He’s not there or we can’t see Him, we can ask God to reveal himself. He’ll answer. He answers me. He’ll answer you. It can be anything from a stunning sunset, a smile or compliment just when we need it, or even the perfect parking place on a rainy day. It can also be a feeling of assurance that washes over us.
God wants good things for you. And I know for me, I can’t think of anything more assuring than truly knowing that the One whose heart is for us, will always be there when our circumstances feel out of our control or bigger than our abilities. I hope you know that too.