“1-2-3… 18-19-20… Ready or not, here I come!!”

Many of us have fond memories of the childhood game “Hide and Seek”. What is it about this game that we love? Maybe it’s finding a good place to be “hidden” … or it could be the excitement of being the “seeker”. Then again, we simply had fun running around with our friends in the yard, especially in the early evenings as it grew dark. Occasionally one of us would grow tired or would feel the call of nature and slip back inside for a few minutes… which tended to frustrate the one searching!

This reminds me of the biblical comparisons of the shepherd searching for sheep, an image that the people of that day would have understood very well. Their sheep were a main source of livelihood, so a lost sheep would have been a great concern. Unlike us as children, easily slipping away for our Hide and Seek and then returning, the sheep became confused and anxious when they wandered away and were often unable to find their way back. Matthew and Luke told similar stories about searching for lost sheep. In them, the owner of a hundred sheep left ninety-nine safely together in the pasture and went searching diligently until he found the lost sheep and brought it back.

I love the way God connects with us by using things we can relate to. He spoke to Ezekiel, saying, “I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.” How comforting to recognize God as our great Shepherd who carries His rod and staff to defend us and guide us. Don’t we all need and appreciate reminders and encouragement that we’re not left stuck and alone?! No matter what our situation may be, He comes to us and brings us back into fellowship within His safe fold.

Whether we are hiding, lost, or have strayed away, we can be thankful that God watches over us and seeks us! My prayer is that we live each day secure in that promise. May we hear His gentle reminders that even when we cannot find Him, He stretches out His staff to bring us home to Him.

– Charlotte-Anne Allen
Ezekiel 24, Matthew 18:12, Luke 15:4