There’s a story in Luke 2 that feels startlingly human.

Mary and Joseph were returning home from Jerusalem after Passover when they realized something unthinkable: 12-year-old Jesus was missing.

Imagine their confusion and desperation. They searched for three days before finding Jesus in the temple, sitting among the teachers and asking questions.

That story feels especially tender when I ache for God’s presence in my own life. I may not lose Him the way His parents did, but I know what it’s like to lose a sense of Jesus — to wonder where He’s gone in the noise, the pain, or my own heart.

If you feel that ache today, you’re not alone. Here are five invitations when God feels hidden:

1. Welcome wonder.

Uncertainty often feels dangerous, as though safety exists on the far side of knowing. But Isaiah 45:3 reminds us that God “will give [us] treasures hidden in the darkness.” Some gifts can only be found in silence. In waiting. In the places where we least expect light to find us.

Instead of fearing the unknown, what if we approached it with curiosity? Wonder helps us see the dark not as empty but alive with possibility. God is still at work, even when we cannot see it.

2. Practice presence.

When life feels shadowed or unclear, the invitation isn’t just to do more or figure things out. It’s to become aware. To notice that even here, God is present. He’s often found in the quiet, ordinary moments of being human: walking outside, washing dishes, breathing deeply, treating other people like His children.

To practice presence is to believe holiness isn’t somewhere out there. It’s here. Now.

3. Hold the tension.

The three days Mary and Joseph searched for Jesus must have felt endless. We, too, can experience that in-between space, waiting for clarity. Instead of escaping the tension, what if we hold it? Beneath our restlessness often lies revelation about our fears, desires, and assumptions about God. If we’re willing to listen, even discomfort can speak truth.

4. Live your questions.

When Jesus feels distant, questions surface: Why can’t I feel You? Are You still here? Instead of silencing your questions, bring them into prayer.

Faith isn’t about having everything figured out. It’s about learning to live inside the mystery, trusting that clarity unfolds slowly, one moment at a time.

5. Let uncertainty become your teacher.

Scripture is full of people who met God in uncertainty. Moses on the mountain, Elijah in the cave, Mary at the empty tomb. Each moment of disorientation became an invitation into deeper encounter with Him.

The unknown can become both a teacher and a sanctuary. A place where we learn to listen differently and discover that we are being held, even here.

Even when God seems gone, He is not lost. And neither are we.

Dear God, even when I can’t find You, remind me that You have never lost sight of me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Connect with Taylor on Instagram. To learn more about Taylor and her latest book, Stop Saying I’m Fine: Finding Stillness When Anxiety Screams, check out her website.

In a recent episode of her podcast, Faith & Feelings, Taylor interviewed a ministry leader about her story of walking through a spiritual wilderness, and they talked through the practices and postures that became good companions for her along the way. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Psalm 139:12, “but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you” (NLT).

What emotions surface for you when God feels hidden or silent?

What questions about God, faith, or yourself are you afraid to ask? What might it look like to bring those into prayer instead of pushing them away?

Where might God be inviting you to notice His presence in the ordinary rhythms of your day?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.

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