Hide and Seek
by
Vickie Conde
In the beginning I was lost and Jesus sought after me. Jesus left the 99 and came after to seek after me.(Mt. 18:12) As He brought me into His flock and began to teach me to be one of His sheep. The Word of God was opened to my understanding; the Truth of His Word went in my heart and mind. I learned to love His Word. He comforted, He taught, He pursued, He revealed, He healed and He Filled me with His Holy Spirit. I spent a lot of time just receiving His Mercy and His Grace. I learned to linger in His Presence and became more and more comfortable in His Arms. I learned to recognize His Voice, and sense when He was directing me. It was a profoundly beautiful experience of learning to receive love and forgiveness. I couldn’t get enough. I was so hungry for whatever He said to me. It seemed as if all I had to do was think of Jesus and what He did for me and I instantly transported to the cross and His Blood pouring down and lavishing in His love. I was His little child, He was my Shepherd. I loved it. It was all about His Love, His Forgiveness, His Patience, and His Comfort.
One day I knew He wanted more from me. Not just to be a little child but to grow up into His Likeness. This required so much more from me. Much like growing in my parents home and being taught that I need to step up my responsibilities. He wanted to teach me to care for the other sheep of His pasture, and to teach the little ones who came in after me. I knew there was more expected and I couldn’t remain this dependant child holding out my hand for everything I needed. I was encouraged for my own benefit as well as the benefit of His flock. To stand up instead of sitting in His lap and laying there listening to His heart beat. My heart felt like I was being pulled away from my Father’s arms and He told me get up. He insisted--I resisted, “This is good for you my little one.” In His Kingdom we will always be His child, but we are to grow into His Likeness. He modeled seeking the lost, so as His children we are to be about our Father’s Business.
We cannot be about out Father’s Business unless we seek Him and find Him everyday in His Word, to be guided and directed each day. Jesus spent time with His Father by rising early in the morning; He was always revealing His Father’s will because He knew that it was by His spending time in intimate relationship. Even Jesus knew He had to seek out His Father, there is our perfect model for our relationship with our Father.
Jer. 1
4 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."
6 Then said I: "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth."
7 But the LORD said to me: "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you," says the LORD.
9 Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant."
11 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" And I said, "I see a branch of an almond tree."
12 Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word."
13 And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north."
14 Then the LORD said to me: "Out of the north calamity shall break forth On all the inhabitants of the land.
15 For behold, I am calling All the families of the kingdoms of the north," says the LORD; "They shall come and each one set his throne At the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, Against all its walls all around, And against all the cities of Judah.
16 I will utter My judgments Against them concerning all their wickedness, Because they have forsaken Me, Burned incense to other gods, And worshiped the works of their own hands.
17 "Therefore prepare yourself and arise, And speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, Lest I dismay you before them.
18 For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against the whole land; Against the kings of Judah, Against its princes, Against its priests, And against the people of the land.
19 They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you," says the LORD, "to deliver you."
At first it felt like I had done something so bad I wasn’t loved anymore. He wasn’t just cuddling and hugging me. I didn’t understand at first. Was I being punished? The answer was no!
1 Cor. 13:11 – 13 1 Cor. 14
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
14:1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
He was teaching me that we were entering a deeper level of relationship. As simple as this sounds it was if the rules changed and He said, “I sought after you, now you seek Me”! The ultimate game of hide and seek, “Now your turn seek after me”.
Mat. 7:7 - 10
7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Du. 4:29
29 "But from there you will seek the LORD your God,
1245. baqash, baw-kash'; a prim. root; to search out (by any method, spec. in worship or prayer); by impl. to strive after:--ask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).
and you will find Him IF you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
1875. darash, daw-rash'; a prim. root; prop. to tread or frequent; usually to follow (for pursuit or search); by impl. to seek or ask; spec. to worship:--ask, X at all, care for, X diligently, inquire, make inquisition, [necro-] mancer, question, require, search, seek [for, out], X surely.
Ps 63:1
63 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
KJV
7836. shachar, shaw-khar'; a prim. root; prop. to dawn, i.e. (fig.) be (up) early at any task (with the impl. of earnestness); by extens. to search for (with painstaking):--[do something] betimes, enquire early, rise (seek) betimes, seek (diligently) early, in the morning).
Ps 105:4
4 Seek the Lord, and his strength:
1245. baqash, baw-kash'; a prim. root; to search out (by any method, spec. in worship or prayer); by impl. to strive after:--ask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).
seek his face evermore.
1875. darash, daw-rash'; a prim. root; prop. to tread or frequent; usually to follow (for pursuit or search); by impl. to seek or ask; spec. to worship:--ask, X at all, care for, X diligently, inquire, make inquisition, [necro-] mancer, question, require, search, seek [for, out], X surely.
Ps 119:176
176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.
Isa 55:6
6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Isa 58:2
2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
Pro 8
17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
(Deu 4:29
But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
(Prov 8:17
I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
(Jer 29:13
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Matt 2:8-9
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
Search 1833. exetazo, ex-et-ad'-zo; from G1537 and etazo (to examine); to test thoroughly (by questions), i.e. ascertain or interrogate:--ask, enquire, search.
Found/find 2147. heurisko, hyoo-ris'-ko; a prol. form of a prim. heuro, hyoo'-ro; which (together with another cognate form heureo, hyoo-reh'-o) is used for it in all the tenses except the pres. and imperf.; to find (lit. or fig.):--find, get, obtain, perceive, see.
Mat 7:7
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Luke 11:9
And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Luke 15:8
Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?
(Acts 17:27 KJV) That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
Even Jesus parents sought after Him.
Luke 2:
40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.
42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast.
43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it;
44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day's journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances.
45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.
46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.
48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously."
49 And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"
50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.
51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.