Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Psalm 10:1
Have you ever asked that question? I have, and it comforts me to know the man after God’s own heart asked it too. King David, chosen by God to rule His chosen people, who conquered a giant named Goliath and wrote praise songs to the Almighty YHWH felt there were times when he couldn’t find God in his life.
My faith tells me God is always there. He is slow to anger, steadfast in love and promised ,when on earth as the resurrected Christ, that He’d be with us always until the end. But, my emotions get in the way. I get so caught up in the here and now it is all I can focus upon. My situation looms up in front of me like a quick moving thunderstorm, clouding my view of reality. Like a child with a broken toy I cry out fro Daddy to fix it.
Or, perhaps emotionally I am behaving like a stubborn little child by squeezing my eyes closed from what I must face. Like growing-cold brussel sprouts on a plate, I want to push away from life’s hassles and pout. Make it all go away! I don’t even want to look at it anymore. You can’t make me digest this. Ever been there?
Then I remember the woman who had a bleeding disease. Before Jesus could heal her, she had to reach out to Him. If only her fingers could stretch through the crowd and touch the hem of his garment. . . She risked being in public and shunned as unclean to receive cleansing. She took action and sought Him out. He healed not only her disease, but her soul.
I think sometimes God plays hide and seek so we will try and find Him in the situation we are in. He does this not to be cruel, but so we will switch our focus to Him instead of our problems. When we do that, we let go of the ownership of whatever it is we cannot handle and can give it to Him. God isn’t in the Band-Aid business as much as he in the Open the Wound business. He probably won’t make it all magically disappear, or just cover over the surface of the wound. He wants to heal us deep down inside. That requires action and faith on our part.
The woman grabbed hold of what she could of Jesus – a tiny portion of His robe, and He knew it. Instead of sitting alone on the side of the road wailing for Him to heal her, she sought Him out. She turned from lamenting about her situation and looked for The Solution. Jesus did more than heal her, He restored her to life and, through her faith, gave her life everlasting. I imagine that woman never went through anything without Him again. He wants us to do the same – to grab hold so He can help us walk through it, climb over it, or tunnel under it.
Perhaps that is what He meant when He said “Seek and ye shall find”. (Mt.7:7) Or, as the prophet Jeremiah relayed it to God’s people centuries before “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13)
Who are you seeking ? A fix-it man or the Man who can repair you? Jesus said on the Mount,”Be ye not anxious about your life . . . Seek ye first the kingdom of God.” (Mt. 6:25, 33) We should take Him at His Word.
