When You May Be Found

For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him. You are my hiding place; you shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 

Psalm 32:6-7 

God makes Himself available most of the time. There are times, however, when He hides Himself for His Own reasons. David was aware of this truth. He realized that on the foundation of the forgiveness of sins, ‘everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time, when You may be found.’ Isaiah hits some of the same notes when he writes, ‘Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.’ There he calls to the wicked and unrighteous to return to the LORD for mercy and pardon. What is interesting for our purpose is that both David and Isaiah refer to God allowing us to access Him with the understanding that there will come a time when He will not be so immediately available. This is a hard concept for us to embrace. We like to think of God as being ever available. The idea that he would withdraw Himself or be somehow inaccessible is disconcerting. Job complained that he could not find God. ‘Look, I go forward, but He is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive Him; when He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him; when He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him.’ His consolation was, ‘But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.’ Even when God seemed to hide Himself, Job continued to express faith in Him. What can we gain from these thoughts? The short answer is, that we who believe seek the LORD now while He may be found. Christ is available today. He may be found now. Therefore, because He has purchased our pardon, because He does intercede for us, we can and should call upon Him. 

God of Grace and Glory, 
we rejoice that You do give us access to You. 
We praise You that we can seek You, 
while You may be found. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning