One of the most popular childhood games played across various cultures is “Hide and Seek.” After all, it is fun and thrilling to hide and run for the base, or to seek for those who hide, and then run again to the base to beat them.
As present-day believers, we are invited by our Lord and Savior to continue hiding His words in our hearts, and seek Him. This is actually the foremost thing we ought to do, as we are all created to worship Him.
“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
When we seek God first, and put Him on top of our lists, our daily lives, and our long term plans, He promises to guide us and be with us all through the way. He will strengthen us amid the inevitable challenges that we will face, and He will be our guide.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
In the Bible, hiding God’s word was part of Moses’ guidance to his successor Joshua, who successfully led the second leg of the Israelites journey to the Promised Land.
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:7-8
Like Joshua, when we hide His words in our hearts, we get to have a weapon that we could release each time we are faced with the enemies of our spirit such as anxiety, regrets, resentments, grief, worries, fear, bitterness and anger. By keeping God’s words in our minds and hearts, we get to know His character more, we get to be acquainted with His promises, and we will get to be hopeful amidst adversities.
“My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.” Proverbs 4:20-22
So how do we practically hide God’s word in our hearts and seek Him daily? The short answer is to intentionally grow our faith. We must have the spiritual discipline to have a “quiet time” with the Lord everyday. It is spending time to talk to God, worship Him, ask for His forgiveness, thank Him, consult Him, ask for His help, and cry or laugh with Him.
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” Jeremiah 29:12-14
We then follow up our prayer time, with daily Bible reading and reflection. We read the Bible and meditate on what the Lord could be telling us through the passages, and how we could apply its lessons in our lives.
If you are new to Bible reading you can choose a hardcopy bible devotional to guide you on the reflection and what passages to read. You can also start with the Gospel of John, or download a reputable bible reading app like the YouVersion Bible App and follow one of its bible reading plans. We should also take the opportunity to seek Him alongside other people by attending Bible Study classes.
We can then write down the passages that mean to us, and even memorize Bible verses that speak to us. And when we have God’s word in our hearts, and allow it to accumulate there, we will know His character more, trust Him more, and get to hold on to His promises especially when the times are tough. We also get to be more thankful for His presence in our lives.
“And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
And so, when we seek God everyday, and hide His words in our hearts, we will have His peace that transcends the difficult circumstances in our lives!
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Proverbs 4:21-23, Joshua 1:7-9 and Psalm 119:9-11 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Do you hide God’s word in your heart? What are the challenges that you have that keep you from intentionally and consistently seeking Him?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for your loving words that guide, assure, and protect us. Give us the grace to continue seeking you and keeping your words in our hearts. Amen.
