God Is Not Hard To Find | Northstar Church

”From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.” – Acts 17:26-27

Where is God? Have you ever asked that question? Most of us have at one time or another. Maybe it was years ago, or maybe it was just a few minutes ago. Asking that question suggests that God is hiding, unavailable, unresponsive, busy, or disinterested. Is that the case, or is it simply our inability to understand, to get God?

After all, God is not easy to get. Isaiah 55:8 tells us that: “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” God is not easy to get because we often don’t get what we want when we want it. We have encounters with Him where He connects into our lives with power and answers our prayers and wins our trust and praise. And then there are those times when bedlam and general craziness dominate our lives and we are left wondering “what just happened?” We cry to God in our confusion and there is silence. God seems absent. He seems hard to find. But is He?

Most Christians will find themselves on the mountain top and in the valley at one time in their life. But God is not absent, nor is He distant. And He is not hard to find. Acts 17:28 says, “ For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.” In reality, God is not absent or silent or indifferent at all, it is just how we perceive it at the moment. When we feel forsaken by God we are not forsaken. “…For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5). We are simply called to trust the promise more than the perception. If we seek God, we will find Him.

Some of the most promising and spectacular words ever spoken by God are found in the book of Jeremiah: “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord…” (Jeremiah 29:13–14).

We won’t be able to get that true connection with God unless we’re able to let down our walls and open our hearts. He is always there, whether we are aware of it or not, just waiting for us to find Him. As we search for God today, with all of our hearts, we will find Him, and He will help us find our way.

Discussion Questions:

Can you seek God but not “see” Him?
In what ways have you been disappointed by God seeming to hide when you have been seeking him?
What heart adjustments do you think you need to make to “find” God?