Truly you are a God who has been hiding himself, the God and Savior of Israel. Isaiah 45:15
It would be easy for God to perform amazing miracles, write his name on the clouds or demonstrate his greatness in some way. Yet God chooses to restrain himself. He appears to be hiding from us.
While God doesn’t draw attention to himself he leaves enough clues for the genuine seeker. He hides so that he can be found by those who are prepared to consider the evidence in creation, in his mighty acts on behalf of Israel, in other historical and archaeological evidence, plus personal testimonies and inner conviction. None of these will convince a casual onlooker but those who are genuinely interested in investigating Christian faith will find that God provides enough indications to warrant trust in him.
The writer to the Hebrews explains, “And 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” (Hebrews 11:6). God is looking for those with faith. If his presence in the world was obvious we wouldn’t need faith.
God’s restraint in not displaying his greatness in ways that are obvious to us also tells us something about the character of God. He shows humility when he has nothing to be humble about. He doesn’t push himself forward or highlight his work in the world. He appears to be “hiding himself” to arouse our curiosity so that we will desire a relationship with him.
God isn’t found by the casual seeker but by those who are determined. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
