Do You Wanna Play Hide N Seek?
How God Hides from Us to Show us Mercy, Grace, Forgiveness and Joy.
Isa 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. :8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
:16 I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. You are ever before me, in my presence.
Reflections:
Ever felt like you’ve been forsaken, rejected, hated on, neglected? Do you sometimes feel like God is playing hide-n-seek? Is God hiding from you?
For the most part many times if were honest with ourselves, it’s our own doing, our own behavior that brings about these sad consequences.
But hold on there’s still hope! Still forgiveness and healing.
Look at these verses again, “For a little while I hid my face from you” God said.
Why? Perhaps because if he continued to look upon us in our sin, he would be forced to administer judgment and discipline, pain and shame, whereas his desire for us is MERCY and GRACE, FORGIVENESS and JOY.
So rather than judge us he looked away from us, to give us time to repent, to change even if it meant reaping some dire consequences, they are nothing compared to the judgment/wrath of God.
And what about this other verse? “ I have engraved thee upon the palms of my hands..” Ever realize what that means?
To think when he looks at those blood scared, nail pierced hands.
He doesn’t see the wounds, doesn’t see the holes, the scars, the pain, the dread, the battered flesh. The rejection!
He see’s YOU! He thinks about you! You and I were the reason he went to that’ hill called Calvary. You and I were the reason he suffered, was shamed, was battered, was spit on and rejected, forsaken and left alone, the reason he died. And how about this one:
YOU and I were the reason he RESSURECTED!
(Forgive me my readers if I have to stop and finish here, take in a moment to cry, but I’m feeling him…I sense his loving presence and am reminded that I may endure, weeping for a night, but JOY cometh in the morning.. Amen)
