Found by faith, hidden by unbelief

A while ago my daughter came home from school with a writing assignment. She was to write an article for a newspaper supporting her belief in God. She was to prove that He exists. And I was to supply the evidence!

After a sigh and a smile I proceeded to explain that whatever proof I could provide would come from the Bible. And to those who did not believe the Bible my proof would be worthless. I did proffer some scientific suggestions to God's existence, with some back-up from historical findings. These disciplines may not provide conclusive evidence that God exists, but neither can they prove that He doesn't. However, the crux of my response went thus:

God, in His infinite wisdom, has decided to hide Himself from those who will not believe, and to reveal Himself to those who do. As lame as this might sound, it is the gospel truth. A half-hearted, critical search may well reveal nothing. But if we seek Him in faith He will allow us to find Him.

He says of those who seek from the heart,

And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you...
Jeremiah 29:13-14a

But to those who will not honour Him as God, who despise Him, He says,

Because I have called, and you refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded...Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early but they shall not find me.
Proverbs 1:24 and 28

The passport to the realm where God manifests is called faith. Without it we cannot access Him.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for He that cometh to God MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS, and that He is a rewarder of them that DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM.
Hebrews 11:6 (capitals, writer's own)

God is a spirit. Spirits do not show up in test tubes, on CAT scans or x-rays. No litmus test or forensics team will ever be able to detect His presence. The only way to see God in our lives, to hear Him speak, to have Him work things out for our good, is to come to Him in faith, believing first of all, then seeing.

Jesus said, "...whoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no way enter in." Luke 18:17

The kingdom of God is not a physical location but the realm where God is honoured as God. This could be in our lives or up where the angels live. Receiving it like a child refers to accepting without question, as children innocently do.

So after we had listed our scientific and historical suggestions my daughter and I ended with something like this: We will see God if we believe in Him. But if we do not believe we most likely never will. This is the way He has chosen to remain; found by faith but hidden by unbelief.