We know of the game "Hide and Seek." Someone is designated "It," and all others go hide, while whoever is "It" counts to a set number and then begins the search. When "It" discovers someone, the race is on to see who can reach "base" first and be safe. The fun of the game is not to hide so well that you can never be found, but to be discovered for the thrill of the race back to base.

The prophet Isaiah said of God Almighty, "Truly you are a God who hides himself" (Isaiah 45:15).

The God of the Bible is called by many different names, and each name signifies a facet of God's character. The primary name LORD or Jehovah [Yahweh] means "The Self-Existent One." It also contains the idea of becoming known. He is "the self-existent One who reveals Himself."

God in His nature wants to become known, but not to the casual seeker or the person who would challenge God by saying, "Show me Yourself, and then I will believe!" Almighty God holds the position, "Believe in Me, and I will show Myself to you."

God said through the prophet Jeremiah, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).

The Old Testament man Job was looking for God in the middle of all his trials. Job said, "If only I knew where to find him" (Job 23:3). He continued, "If I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. But he knows the way that I take" (verses 8-10).

Job concluded that even though he could not find God to inquire of Him, he was convinced that God knew where he was and what was going on. He continued, "When he has tested me, I will come forth as gold" (verse 10).

Job did eventually come face to face with God (in a manner of speaking, as no one can see God's face and live, according to Exodus 33:20). Job said, "My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:5-6).

God is waiting for the diligent seeker, and the main tool of the diligent seeker is faith. We cannot begin with, "If there is a God . . ."; we must begin with, "God is! Therefore. . . ." Hebrews 11:6 declares, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

God reveals Himself in many ways, but the primary way is through the Holy Scriptures, the Bible. The search begins slowly, and the words of the Bible may seem difficult to understand at first, but keep digging. The earnest seeker of God is always rewarded by the presence of God.

The prophet Isaiah adds urgency to our seeking of God by telling us, "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near" (Isaiah 55:6). The Bible reveals that there is an end coming to life as we know it. We'd best be getting on with seeking God!