Experiencing God Who Hides

A brother from Madhya Pradesh has been running after me to address an online meeting on Wednesdays. The past few months I had been traveling abroad and within India, so I was not able to minister to the seekers in MP. Even yesterday I wanted to skip the meeting as I other things to do. But since he insisted, I felt I should comply to it. But still I was not clear what to minister.

At about 5:30 PM, we had an urgent fellowship of the brothers in the church in Gurugram. A brother mentioned about the God who hides Himself. Then, that became the message for my online meeting. The burden was clear. And as I considered on the subject, the Lord gave me all the necessary Bible verses.

Surely You are a God who hides Himself, / O God of Israel, the Savior. (Isaiah 45:15, RecVer)

Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you all the days until the consummation of the age. (Matthew 28:20, RecVer)

Because I Myself am with you, and no one will assail you to harm you, because I have many people in this city. (Acts 18:10, RecVer)

For where there are two or three gathered into My name, there am I in their midst. (Matthew 18:20, RecVer)

As I began to minister the word of God, I enjoyed the Lord's anointing richly. Sentence by sentence, the words were ministered. I sensed life flowing through me. In fact, the online saints too received much life supply.

This message on the hiding God was also what we experienced the last few days. There were difficult circumstances outwardly, but surely God was with us. Five of our brothers were imprisoned for being in a Christian meeting that sent shocking surprise among the saints and the family members. But God was sovereign over all. Despite the situation, He was behind the scene.

First, I confirmed and reconfirmed the fact that God as the Spirit is in our human spirit (2 Timothy 4:22, Romans 8:16) as a believer since we were born of God (John 3:3,5). Second, despite our outward circumstances seemingly contradicting our inward reality, God is still with us. Prayers may not be answered. Things may not be in our favor. God seemed to be nowhere. But, God is there behind all the dead, dark, and dry situations. Third, God will work in the environment, ultimately to fulfill His eternal purpose. Fourth, since such being the case, we must never be discouraged but stand firm in the faith believe in the unfailing word of God that He is with us all the time.

I used the example of how God delivered His people from being killed by the Jewish haters led by Haman. However, through Queen Esther who replaced Vashti under the leadership of the Jewish leader Mordecai and through King Ahaseurus, God secretly paved the way for salvation of the jews. God worked secretly at the right time with the right people. Though the word God was never mentioned in the book of Esther, God was the hiding God working to fulfill His divine economy. One Bible verse that really struck me is:

On that night the king could not sleep, so he gave orders to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. (Esther 6:1, RecVer)

God even took away the king’s sleep at the night to work out His heart's desire. God may not be mentioned at all nor be manifested outwardly, but He was very much present in among His people. Similarly, God as the Spirit is in our spirit today and He is working in the lives of every saint to work out His divine purpose. 

Later, I thanked the Lord that the brother insisted on me ministering the word. I was supplied and the saints were supplied too.

Praise the God who hides Himself!