Is God hiding himself and his plans?
Deuteronomy 29:29“The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.”
Romans 16:25Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time.
Ephesians 1:9God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan.
Colossians 1:15Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
Hebrews 1:3The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.
God reveals himself through his Son, Jesus Christ, as the fulfillment of his salvation plan for all people.
Psalm 119:160The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.
Isaiah 45:19“I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. I, the Lord, speak only what is true and declare only what is right.”
Isaiah 48:6“You have heard my predictions and seen them fulfilled, but you refuse to admit it. Now I will tell you new things, secrets you have not yet heard.”
Daniel 2:22“He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light.”
God knows every secret and every lie, but he only speaks the truth. He has shared many great and important truths with us. The question is, are we listening?
John 18:19-21Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them. Jesus replied, “Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoken in secret. Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said.”
Ephesians 1:9-10God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.
God does not hide himself from us. In fact, he has revealed his grand plan to us. The purpose of this plan—the gospel—is to restore our relationship with him so we can live with him eternally.
Deuteronomy 4:29“But from there [in exile] you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him.”
1 Chronicles 28:9“And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.”
Psalm 27:8My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
Matthew 7:7-8“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
God wants us to know him and uses a variety of ways to reveal himself to all who seek him. When we try to hide from God, we often blame God for the distance between us, claiming that he is the one doing the hiding. God is always trying to reveal himself to us—but do we really want to find him? To find him means facing a radical life change. Many of us are afraid of that. Sometimes, we may need to ask ourselves if we are honestly searching for God.
Romans 1:20Ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
God reveals himself through his creation. The evidence of an all-powerful God is all around us.
John 16:13-14“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.”
1 Corinthians 2:10It was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.
God reveals himself and his wisdom through his Spirit. When we fail to understand the Word of God, perhaps it is because we have failed to respond to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 3:9I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.
God reveals his messages to us through one another.
Psalm 78:2I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past.
Matthew 11:25At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.”
Matthew 13:35This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet: “I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.”
Luke 8:10He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’”
Luke 9:45They [Jesus’ disciples] didn’t know what he [Jesus] meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they couldn’t understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
Luke 10:21At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.”
John 16:25-30“I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.” Then his disciples said, “At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. Now we understand that you know everything, and there’s no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God.”
God both hides and reveals his truth through parables, teachings, and his own Word. Whether his truth is revealed or hidden lies not with the sender or the message but with the heart of the receiver.
Deuteronomy 31:17-18“Then my anger will blaze forth against them. I will abandon them, hiding my face from them, and they will be devoured. Terrible trouble will come down on them, and on that day they will say, ‘These disasters have come down on us because God is no longer among us!’ At that time I will hide my face from them on account of all the evil they commit by worshiping other gods.”
Job 23:1-10Then Job spoke again: “My complaint today is still a bitter one, and I try hard not to groan aloud. If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court. I would lay out my case and present my arguments. Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me. Would he use his great power to argue with me? No, he would give me a fair hearing. Honest people can reason with him, so I would be forever acquitted by my judge. I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed. But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.”
Psalm 10:1O Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?
Psalm 27:9Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation!
Psalm 69:17Don’t hide from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in deep trouble!
Psalm 89:46O Lord, how long will this go on? Will you hide yourself forever?
Lamentations 3:44You have hidden yourself in a cloud so our prayers cannot reach you.
Luke 18:1, 7One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. . . . Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
Hebrews 11:27It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.
There are many reasons why God may seem far away. Sometimes (such as with Israel), living lives of sin makes God unwelcome. In that case, we should repent and seek God’s forgiveness. But sin is not the only reason we may feel this way. Sometimes (such as with Job), we experience great tragedy, and God doesn’t answer our prayers when we expect him to. This may leave us feeling ignored or unloved by God—but that doesn’t mean those feelings are truly justified. Jesus tells a parable of a widow who kept begging a corrupt judge for justice. In time, the judge relented, if only to get the widow to leave him alone. Jesus says that if an unrighteous human judge would eventually give justice, how much more will God give justice to those who keep crying out to him?
