Is God Hiding?

Probing Proverbs: 1:20-22 20 Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square. She calls to the crowds along the main street, to those gathered in front of the city gate: “How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge?

How desirous is God for us to walk in wisdom? Is He really a distant God, Who demands much but supplies little help? The writer of this Proverb would disagree very much! In his poetic use of language, he brings the idea of God’s wisdom to life, if you would. Making wisdom a woman living in a city, actively reaching out to the humans in that city. Notice the intensity that is used to describe wisdom’s behavior. “Shouts” is a word that does not commutate a passive, inconspicuous action! When you shout you are aggressively attempting to get someone’s attention. “Cries” also shows a fervent desire to communicate, but notice where this takes place; “the public square.” 
This is in the center of all that is going on in the city; it is not in some hidden place that a person has to make a special pilgrimage to! Wisdom “calls,” again notice where, the “main” street and at the “city gate.” The picture is quite clear; God’s wisdom is aggressively reaching out to us, unlike the many Hollywood versions of God where He is nothing more than a passive force or energy. Also, contrary to the many teachings of various gurus, that require a mystic adventure and an arduous journey to find God, our God is in the center of man’s life, not hiding or difficult to find! There are many Scriptures that attest to how God has plainly revealed Himself to us. Consider just two:

Romans 1:19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.

This section of Romans is famous as it challenges us to consider all of Creation as the evidence of our Creator. Most times we think of the stars and the earth, but I find verse 19 especially interesting, when read in the NASB. “God is evident WITHIN them!” If an individual is honest, they need not look outside themselves to see clear proof of a designer. Just look at your hand for a while, move it, snap your fingers, consider that you alone have a unique fingerprint…unlike any of the other 7 billion people on this earth! 
Study how the human eye is made and works; within reading just several pages on this, you will be dazzled at the design. Everything about our body and how it works testifies to the reality of a Creator.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart

I have never met a child that does not believe in “forever.” In the heart of our thoughts, we know we live beyond our body. I find the strongest proof of this is the intensity that Atheist show to prove something they claim they don’t believe in! If someone wanted me to believe that ET planted us here, I would disagree, but I would not get irate, file a law suit to remove their statue of ET, much less spend all the time and energy of my life trying to disprove something I did not believe in. 
When an Atheist tells me they do not believe in God, I listen, if they want to hear my conviction I will share, but then I move on. I don’t get angry, or demean them, and I won’t spend time…which is valuable…trying to stop them from believing in what they want to believe in. I think the fact of eternity existing in their heart, placed there by God, is something they fear and is why they become so fervent to disprove it!

God is near, but He leaves it up to us to open our eyes and ears to Him. As this Proverb demonstrates, those that refuse to listen to Him do so because they willfully refuse to. The three words used in this Proverb describe their attitude well:

They insist on being simpleminded, relish their mocking, and hate knowledge.

“The so what?” How about you? Are you keeping your heart open to hear your Creator share His wisdom to you? Are you hiding from God, while at the same time claiming you cannot see evidence of Him? Remember, God has made us free to do whatever we want…except escape the consequences! The consequences can be heavenly or hellish; it’s our choice.