hidden season
Faith,  Spiritual growth in the wilderness and waiting season

FEELING HIDDEN? THESE 2 THINGS WILL HELP YOU.

Estimated reading time: 14 minutes

Have you been feeling like God has hidden you from the world? Maybe you feel unseen, unheard, and just basically hidden. No one seems to see your talent, your purpose, and what you have to offer. Maybe you have been applying for a job and you can’t seem to make any headway. Or maybe you have been putting out content out there and no one seems to resonate with it. Maybe you have a business and no one seems to be buying from you. Are you in a season where you feel hidden?

These are just examples, but maybe yours is not physical but mental. Do you feel like the surrounding people don’t even know you? Are you around people who don’t even understand you? Maybe God is calling you to come up higher and it seems that the more you do so, the fewer people understand you. If this is you, I want to first encourage you by telling you this. You might be hidden from the world, but you are not hidden from God.

Remember this.

Although no one seems to know or understand you, God knows you, sees you, and understands you. He is the one who created you and He knew you before you were born. He ordained you before you came to be. God ordained this season too. It is not uncommon for God to hide you. It has happened before. You see, there are moments when God has to hide you before He can unveil and reveal you because He wants to do work in you.

Now, this does not mean that He has forgotten about you or that your best days are behind you. This simply means that He wants to take you to a new path and a greater level of glory. It’s a good thing that you are hidden because God is entrusting you with more. And just to show you how true this is let’s look at some people in the Bible who God hid them. 

People in the Bible who were Hidden for a season

Jesus. 

Jesus’s ministry did not start until He was 30 but His purpose began the day He was born. This is because purpose marked him. You see, God ordained Jesus before the beginning of time. God did not decide after man sinned that He would send Jesus. No, God set this plan in motion before He created man. God made provision for the error of man before He created Him. So the plan for Jesus to be our Saviour was not an afterthought, but it was carefully planned. Let’s not even forget that Jesus was part of creation. He was present when God created Adam.

As you read this, I hope it frees you from the guilt and shame of your sin. Today, I want you to recognize that God already knew every sin you would ever commit before you committed it. He knew all the mistakes you would ever make, and He still chose you. Jesus did not die for you because you were perfect? He died for you even before you came to the knowledge of Him.

You see

 He died for you even before you came to the knowledge of Him. And still, He said yes to you before you said yes to Him. 

Anyway, back to the topic of today. Jesus’ purpose was still with Him, even in the season of hiddenness. God knew that He was His and He knew He was the Chosen one even before the world knew it. That was why when the wise men came to see Jesus when He was a baby, they brought gifts that signified His purpose.

Let’s for a second look at the gifts and what they signify in relation to His purpose.

  • Gold– The wise men presented gold to Jesus as a sign of His right to rule. This gift represented Jesus as the King of Kings. Isaiah foretold this.  

Isaiah 9:6–7

For to us, a child is born, to us, a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace, there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Let’s elaborate further.
  • Incense– incense was used in the Temple worship. It was mixed with oil to anoint the priest of Israel. In presenting Jesus with this gift, they acknowledged Him as the High Priest. The one whose life is acceptable and pleasing to God. The same gift also pointed to the deity and divinity of Jesus as the Son of God. As this was a part of the meal that was offered as a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God.  16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him. I am well pleased.” (Mathew 3:16-17). Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens. Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. (Hebrews 4:14)
  • Myrrh– Myrrh was used for embalming and it represented the ultimate purpose of Jesus. It acknowledged the fact that Jesus would die for our sins and be the slain Lamb prophesied by prophets in the old Testament. The gift confirmed the ultimate role of Jesus Christ’s suffering, crucifixion and death while on earth. 
Again.

Surely he took up our pain

and bore our suffering,

yet we considered him punished by God,

    stricken by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

    he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

    and by his wounds, we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. ( 2 Timothy 1:8-10)

As you can see from this, Jesus’s purpose was already sealed and yet He had done nothing to earn it. Your purpose was established before you were even born. Maybe you are thinking to yourself, this is Jesus and I am fat from perfect, how can my purpose be marked too? Am I even significant enough to have a purpose marked before birth? And if you can’t identify with this example, I have yet another one. 

Moses

Moses was born at a time when the Israelites had faced tribulation while in bondage. They needed God’s intervention. First off the birth of Moses was not an ordinary one. He was born around the time when God had promised Abraham that He would deliver the Jews from their oppression. You see, God had promised Abraham that his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan. But He also told him that before they could inherit the land, they would first face oppression in a foreign land which we now know as Egypt for 400 years.

So as you can see, the birth of Moses was not a coincidence. He was born at a time when the one who God would use to deliver the Israelites was supposed to be born. It’s no wonder then that Pharaoh was threatened by the Israelites’ increase in number, so much so that he instructed that every male child born should be killed. He might not have known why he was threatened by them, but the reality was that their time in bondage was coming to an end, and he wanted to stop and delay the plan as much as possible.

Here we see yet again that Moses’ purpose marked him even before he was born. That’s why at age 40, he tried to deliver his people from oppression by killing the Egyptian who was oppressing the Israelites. He obviously went about it the wrong way. But you see, his purpose burned inside him so much so that he could not even run away from it. Even the 40 years he was hidden in the wilderness, he was being prepared because the Israelites would be in the wilderness for 40 years.

Therefore

There is no coincidence in God. God being the author and creator of everything has already ordained your steps. This is why the scripture that God works everything out for your good, comes to play. He has planned everything out for your good. He is working it all out even on the seemingly odd paths you walk on. God has orchestrated and planned it all out for you. You are still on His schedule. And not only that, He will never disqualify you from the purpose He has for you. It will still come to pass and God has equipped you for it. 

Now that we know all this, what then should you know when you are in that hidden place?

Your purpose is in you. 

God already put everything inside you when He created you. Your purpose did not come to be after you became a Christian. No, you discovered what God had already said about you when you came to Him. It was Revelation and the handing out of your assignment. Your assignment is for you and no one can do it the way you can. This is because there is a unique aspect of God that He placed inside you that He wants you to unveil to the world and it is specific to you. He carefully created you in a way that that attribute of God is deeply woven into who you are. That’s why you are the one best equipped for what God called you. 

Remember,

You might be hidden, but your purpose is being developed. Your best years are not behind you. The fact that you are hidden does not mean that you have lost your purpose, it is just a season of refining. If you feel hidden today I want to encourage you to lean in on God.. And allow Him to develop the very thing He created you for. And maybe you are yet to get the Revelation of your purpose. Let me encourage you today to take that time and spend it with God. Use this time of being hidden to get to have a relationship with God. Sit at the feet of Jesus and allow Him to speak to you and breathe life into your purpose.

You can only discover your purpose when you turn to the one who created you. Your purpose is found in Him. And it is, the more that you spend time with Him that you get the Revelation of who He created you to be. And the best time to discover your purpose is when you are hidden.

Think about this for a second

When a seed is buried, to the outside world, it does not seem like anything is happening, but inside there is some activity going on.

And did you know that the seed uses what is in that seemingly dark place to develop? That is when the root forms and anchors itself to the ground. In those seasons where you are hidden, it is important for you to anchor yourself on the solid rock so that you are not shaken. If a seed is not firmly rooted, then it will be swayed and easily uprooted when it comes out of the ground.

The same goes for you. God will Anchor you so that you don’t get swayed when He unveils you. You see, this world can so easily distract you and get you to veer off your purpose. But when you are anchored in Him, nothing will faze you not even the praises of people. So today, recognize the fact that your hidden season does not mean that your purpose is no longer viable. It is just proof that you are being prepared to be launched into your purpose. Let this truth help anchor you in the hidden season.

David was hidden for a season. He did not become king until he was 30 and even then he was king over only Judah and not Israel. But in that season of hiddenness, God developed his character and refined him. So much so that when it was a season of unveiling, he did not allow the praises of people to get into his head.

Your purpose is rooted in your identity

In your identity, you will find your purpose. But you can never discover who you are unless you are in Jesus. You see, Jesus is the One who defines and validates you. He knows your true and highest self. And that is why He is the safe bet to find your identity. He does not define you based on your actions but based on who God says you are. Resting in this truth gives you the confidence to navigate the season where God has hidden you. This is because you recognize that your actions do not define you, rather you are defined by who God says you are.

When your deeds define you, you will lose your sense of identity when God is shifting you. When you lose your title, then your identity will be lost too when you define yourself by what you do. By you allow other people to define you, you will lose your sense of identity when they cancel you. Especially in this cancel culture era. So I hope you see why this season is important.

The truth is.

God wants you to know who you are and that no one and nothing will take that confidence away. You can never be effective for God’s kingdom when you don’t know who you are. And you can never fully walk into your purpose until you are secure in your identity.

So maybe today you lack that sense of identity, I want to encourage you to turn to God and allow Him to define you. And even as you turn to God ensure that you are reading the word of God. Because that is where you will find what God says about you. He has spoken so many things concerning His children. And you being His child too means that the same promises are available to you too. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand your identity and He will. He is your helper and wants you to walk in the fullness of who God created you to be. He wants you to maximize this silent season so that when God launches you you can be fully prepared.

Conclusion

The season where you feel hidden is just that a season. It will pass. This is because God marked you by purpose before you were born. And because of that, you have to fulfill the destiny He has for you. Right now, He wants you to focus on Him and find your identity. Cultivate a relationship with Him so that you can learn to hear His voice. Also, allow this season of solitude to bring out your best in Him and anchor you in Him. So that in the fickleness of the world, you remain secure and rooted in who God says you are. You are hidden from the world, you are not hidden from God.

God sees you, hears you, and knows you. He is asking you today to be patient and allow Him to do that good work in you that will reflect Him even more to the world and bring Him glory. Whatever God spoke over you will come to pass. And this is just a season that will come to an end. But let me ask you this, are you ready for what God has prepared for you? Are you truly prepared for when He launches you? Can you handle the platform He has for you? Beloved, don’t worry, Your time is coming. You never know, it could happen even tomorrow. Do not give up or quit on God. He sees you and in due time, He will unveil you.

Mercy is the author and founder of radiantly resurging. She is a Christian and having gone through the wilderness season, she decided to impart the knowledge learned to help others navigate their wilderness season too