WHY DOES GOD HIDE HIMSELF?

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If there is a God, why does He seems hidden? Both critics and Christians wrestle with this question. For atheists and agnostics, the challenge is clear: if God truly exists, why doesn’t He reveal Himself in a more obvious way? For believers, the question reflects a longing to seek God and to know Him more deeply.

1. GOD IS SPIRIT
In one sense, God seems hidden because He is Spirit (John 1:18; 4:24; 1 Timothy 6:16). Unless God chooses to reveal Himself in a tangible form, we cannot actually see Him. There are moments in Scripture when God does manifest Himself in visible ways, such as the burning bush (Exodus 3:2) and the pillar of cloud and fire (Exodus 13:21).

2. GOD WANTS US TO RESPOND IN FAITH
God has chosen not to make His presence overwhelmingly obvious because He desires that people respond to Him through faith. His hiddenness serves as a test of faith for believers and as a call to faith for unbelievers. Faith always carries an element of the unseen, for it is “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

3. GOD DISTANCES HIMSELF BECAUSE OF PEOPLE’S SIN
God also hides Himself because of humanity’s sin (Deuteronomy 31:17; Isaiah 59:2; Ezekiel 39:23–24). His hiddenness can be a form of judgment: “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you” (Psalm 5:4).

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Although God may seem hidden in certain ways, He remains knowable and near, for “He is actually not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27). God reveals Himself through: His Word (Exodus 3:14; Hebrews 1:1; Luke 24:27); His Son, Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14; 14:8–9; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:1–3); His Spirit (John 14:16–17; 1 John 5:6–12); Creation (Psalm 19:1–2; Romans 1:20); The witness of believers (Acts 1:8; 2:1–4; 1 John 1:1–4).
“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Stay Curious.

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