Hide and Seek…”To Be Found By Jesus”

As a child growing up, I loved to play the game "Hide and Seek."  My sister, my cousins, and I especially liked playing the game at night…in the dark.  We knew that if we played in the dark our chances of not being found were greater.  Many times the one who was playing as the seeker would not be able to find the rest of us.  After about ten minutes we would run out from our hiding places and hope that we would not get tagged by the seeker.

As a child growing up, I loved to play the game "Hide and Seek."  My sister, my cousins, and I especially liked playing the game at night…in the dark.  We knew that if we played in the dark our chances of not being found were greater.  Many times the one who was playing as the seeker would not be able to find the rest of us.  After about ten minutes we would run out from our hiding places and hope that we would not get tagged by the seeker.

You see, this was our version of Hide and Seek.  Even though we played it a bit differently, the rules and the object of the game were still the same.  The goal of course was not to be found by the seeker.

According to the rules of the original game, one person was picked to be the seeker and that person was to count to twenty while the other players would go and hide. Once the seeker had counted to twenty he or she would say, "Ready or Not, Here I Come." This statement told the players that the seeker was willing, ready, and able to find those who were hiding and waiting to be found.

Jesus is like that, he is willing, ready, and able to seek and find those who are waiting in the darkness to be found.  He waits patiently with loving arms stretched out, ready to touch those who are hiding from Him.  (Matthew 7:8)  There are numerous times in both the Old and the New Testament where people ran from God.  They were hiding from the truth with no interest in being found by a loving God who desired to take them out of darkness and give them light.

Do you remember the story of Paul?  Paul was a Pharisee, a religious leader, who was hiding behind his religion.   He felt strong and powerful in this role and did not have any plan to change from his beliefs.  But one day, Paul experienced Jesus, the seeker, who showed up while Paul was on the road to Damascus.  (Acts 9:1-9)  It was then that Paul was found by Jesus and was removed from his religious hiding place in darkness and was changed forever.

Jesus replied, I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  (John 14:6)  If we want our children to know Jesus then we must teach them to recognize Him when He finds them.  He is not hiding from them, but instead He is seeking them…wanting to give them eternal life.

Do you give the children within your programs the opportunity to be found by Jesus? Do you share the Good News of Jesus Christ to the children every Sunday or every time they are in your programs?  Don't get caught up with the details of teaching the curriculum and forget to share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He seeks every child who walks in the doors of your church.  Allow every child the opportunity to be found by the great seeker, Jesus Christ.