Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. – Psalm 27:9
There’s an age-old game that kids, to this day, love to play. I would even venture to guess you’ve played it as a child, with your kids, and even with your grand-kids. It’s called, hide-and-seek. Yeah, you’ve heard of it. We all know the point, one person counts and then goes and seeks all other participants who have sought out that perfect hiding spot.
On those days that it has been too cold, or too wet to get outside, we’ve found ourselves playing a few rounds of hide-and-seek after dinner to drain some excess energy before bedtime. My favorite part of the game, however, is when the youngest gets involved. She doesn’t, yet, get the full concept of the game, but enjoys running around. However, she is very observant, too. She watches as people find their hiding spots, and then hangs around. When the seeker comes looking, she promptly points them to where the others are hiding. Sure, you could say that it take the fun out of the game, but as an adult, I find it fascinating.
Wouldn’t it be great if we had a someone who could always point us to the things we are trying to find?
The psalmist writes as through God is hiding. The writer wants us to realize that we are all those who are seeking God. However, once we find God, the greater request comes earlier in the psalm – “that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” The writer knows that security is found in the house of the Lord; that justice, and shelter are there on the rock, that righteousness and salvation are found only there.
The psalmist is seeking that which they know should be sought, and their confidence is that the Lord shall be found. The psalmist reminds the congregation that we are seeking God together. And in this, I’m reminded that there are always those who know something we haven’t found yet. They have something to share with us, they have a truth to be told, they have found a pathway that leads to the peace of God’s presence, and we should listen to them.
It’s a reminder that we are all seeking the same God, the same salvation, the same peace, and we need to listen to those who have had made steps ahead of us. We need each other in this, because we help to show each other the way.
Perhaps that is why this time of distance is so trying on us, at times. Because we aren’t around those who have been a help in the past. Yet, we hold hope, because we know the path of the Lord, we know the hope that he has given, and we know that God is not hidden, but present with us, if we open the eyes of heart to see. God is there, sometimes like the youngest among us, pointing us to himself. Go, and seek him, for he is not far from you.
Grace & Peace,
Sam