Hide & Seek | First15

Have you ever been ashamed of your sins and imperfections and in turn, hid from the Lord?

I recently got to sit down with my husband Tanner Moltz, and our friend Josh Miller. We discussed this concept of hiding from God and ended up on the subject of playing the actual game of “Hide and Seek” and thought of an illustration that really moved us and inspired our new First15 Worship single, Hide and Seek.

Take a moment and think about what it is like to play “Hide and Seek” with a small child. (Let’s be honest, they’re bad at it.) They hide behind sheer curtains, or simply close their eyes thinking because they can’t see you, you can’t see them. But you always know where they are, and you always act so excited when you find them. That’s what it’s like when we play “Hide and Seek” with God. He always knows where we are, no matter where we go. Even better, He is always beaming with joy when he “finds” us. Question is: Why do we hide?

As believers, when we are struggling with sin and shame, our tendency can be to hide and cease communication with the Father. We convince ourselves that he’s mad at us and that he is disappointed. That we couldn’t possibly run to him because he is only waiting to punish us. We’re so quick to belittle ourselves when we struggle with our sin, so much so that the notion of God loving us and wanting to be with us even in the midst of our mess makes no sense to us at all. So, we reject ourselves on God’s behalf and don’t bother with relationship and healing. We tell ourselves it’s okay to hide, it’s easier.

Why is that? We intrinsically know the truth of God’s word: God is for us, not against us. He has plans to prosper us, not to harm us. He works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. But so often, when we are carrying baggage, or when we don’t feel good enough, we let ourselves shut down and go numb.

Fact of the matter is, it can be hard to believe what God says about us: that we are loved, forgiven, and accepted, especially when we struggle to love and forgive ourselves for the wrong we have done. It’s hard to wrap our heads around the fact that the God of the Universe came to earth, laid himself down, and paid the final price for us so that we can live fully, forgiven, and whole.

It’s important to examine our hearts in this: Have I been hiding? Have I cut off communication with the Lord because I think he’s mad at me? I know what the Bible says, but do I truly believe that he loves and forgives me?

I want to invite you even now to take a moment to remind yourself of the truth of who God is in order to take steps towards healing and wholeness:

1. God loves us with an unfailing and never-ending love. No matter what we have done, we are fully loved.

“’Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” –Isaiah 54:10

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5

2. God has forgiven us. When we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive.

“He does not deal with us according to our sins, not repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.”–Psalm 103:10-13

3. We can’t play hide and seek with God! The Lord is our Maker and there is nothing hidden from him. We are fully known by him.

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; If I made my bed in the depths, you are there… My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” –Psalm 139: 7-8, 15-16

Are you hiding today? Step out into the light. Are you broken? Lay it at the feet of Jesus. With him, there is no fear. No condemnation. Run into his arms and experience the joy of being fully known and fully loved by him.

Hide and Seek | First15 Worship feat. Nikki Moltz

Nikki Moltz

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