Daily Reading: 23 January

(from www.christianaid.org.uk)

Hide and seek

Something to read

‘Come,’ my heart says, ‘seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, do I seek. Do not hide your face from me.

- Psalm 27:8-9.

Something to think about

Peekaboo is one of the first games that babies learn, first giggling as someone else hides and reappears, then learning to cover their own faces and pop back out again with glee. My toddler is just learning the next step: looking for people or things that are hidden. While her searching is not hugely effective, I really enjoy watching her exaggerated shrug with upturned hands as she peers around corners, asking ‘Where?’

The good news is that when we seek God’s face, we are likely to be much more successful than a one-year-old looking for her toy bunny! Although it sometimes feels like God is distant and might even be deliberately turning away from us, in reality God does not hide from those who seek him out.

But that decision to seek doesn’t always come easily. The Psalmist here has to persuade himself that turning to God in the midst of trouble is a worthwhile thing to do. It can feel a huge effort to open a Bible, to take a moment out for prayer, to pause and light a candle, or just to breathe in deeply and ask for God’s help. But we can be encouraged that God truly wants to be found.

Something to do

In making time to read this reflection, you have already taken a step towards God today. Take the next one, whatever that looks like for you, using the ideas in the reflection above.

Something to pray

Ever-present God, thank you that you are always ready to be found, even when I’m not ready to search you out. Move my heart towards you today and every day, that I would continue to find the great joy of growing in friendship with you. Amen.

Today’s contributor is Rev Claire Jones