Seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him, if you search after Him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29 ESV
Laughter filled the air as playful taunts and not-always-helpful hints of “Hot! You’re hot – getting hotter! No, no! Colder, colder!”
The blindfolded, dizzy-from-being-spun-in-circles child groped with one hand. The other hand clutched a paper tail with a tack attached, searching for a donkey.
Sometimes the tail found its donkey; other times, the wall was filled with misplaced tails. It didn’t matter! It was pure fun and a staple of children’s party games back in the day. Like most kids, I loved it!
Does today’s generation even know about “Pin the Tail on the Donkey”?
When I was young, I thought it was funny that the donkey never moved. It was fixed to the wall. All the kids saw the donkey on the wall before the game began. At no time did the wall or the donkey move. It looked easy to find.
But once the blindfold covered our eyes, we could see nothing. Still, at that point, the chances of finding the donkey were still okay. We could grope in the direction of the donkey on the wall, and eventually we’d find it.
But once we were spun around multiple times, our chances of finding the donkey and remaining upright on our feet plummeted. Dizzy from the spin, all sense of direction and perspective was lost.
Lately, as I was considering the words “seek the Lord,” this childish game came to mind. I was struck by the idea that we’re instructed to “seek” God.
If God is omnipresent—present everywhere—and He is, why do we have to seek Him?
If He is the God who never leaves us or forsakes us, and He is, why do we sometimes feel deserted?
If He is the One who says, “If you seek Me, you will find Me.” And if we believe that He is the One who speaks only truth, and He is. Then why does He seem so elusive at times?
The problem, then, cannot be with God. The problem must be us.
I think that we are like the child who has put on a blindfold and allowed themselves to be spun in circles.
We become blinded to the presence of God’s activity in and around our lives. We become disoriented to the reality of our situation because we have lost all perspective.
We place our desires, passions, and priorities on things of this world, setting aside God and the priorities He would have us pursue.
We mistakenly think God has deserted us, and we panic or become resentful and angry. But God has never moved. He is where He has always been.
He knows full well every minute detail of our situation. Nothing escapes His gaze.
He patiently waits as we struggle, finally realizing God alone can rescue and redeem our situation. And so, we begin to seek the One who never left us.
When we begin to seek, God unties our blindfold. He reorients our perception. And gently turns our eyes towards Him.
Have you allowed a blindfold to cover your eyes, blocking your view of God?
Has life and its many distractions and problems spun you around and set you on a disorienting and dizzying course?
Stop what you’re doing.
Ask God to remove the blindfold from your eyes.
Pray and ask God to reorient your thinking and fix your gaze on Him.
“Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His presence continually!” Psalm 104:3-4 ESV
Here’s a song to listen to as you meditate on the never-changing, ever-present love of God.
Check out this video, “I Sought The Lord” https://share.google/n0Y5g6FypAPkUm0Hk
“Trust in God” by Brandon Lake, Christopher Joel Brown, Steven Furtick, Elevation Worship