“Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry out, and he will say, ‘Here I am.'” —Isaiah 58:9
Every parent knows the game. You cover your face, your child waits in delighted anticipation, and then—”Peek-a-boo!”—you reveal yourself. The baby squeals with joy. The game teaches something deeper than entertainment: the certainty of presence, the delight of being seen, and the joy of seeing in return.
Worship works like spiritual peek-a-boo. God reveals himself—”Here I am!”—and when our lives align with his character, we get to respond with our own “Here we are!” This week’s Scripture readings trace this beautiful pattern: God shows us his character, corrects our misaligned worship, and promises his presence when we embody his nature toward others. Through Jesus, we see this reality fulfilled, and through the Spirit, we receive the power to live it.
Psalm 112: God Reveals His Character
The psalm opens our eyes to what God looks like. He rises as light in darkness. He extends grace and compassion. He gives generously to those in need. His righteousness endures forever.
This description matters because God invites us into family resemblance. The righteous person in this psalm mirrors these same qualities—gracious, compassionate, generous, established in trust rather than fear. The blessed life looks like God’s life. When we see God clearly, we understand what worship should produce in us: his character taking shape in our daily choices, our relationships, our resources. The psalmist paints a picture of God saying “Here I am—look at who I am”—so we can learn what “Here we are” should look like.
Isaiah 58: God Corrects Misaligned Worship
The people fast. They bow their heads. They spread sackcloth and ashes. They seek God daily and appear to delight in knowing his ways. Yet God remains hidden. Their religious activity produces no sense of his presence.
God explains why: their worship contradicts his character. They oppress their workers on fast days. They quarrel and strike with wicked fists. They hide from their own family members in need. Their religious performance diverges from the gracious, compassionate, generous character he revealed. God prescribes the fast he chooses: loose the chains of injustice, share bread with the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked. When worship aligns with God’s nature expressed toward others, then light breaks forth. Then God speaks the word every worshiper longs to hear: “Hineini”—”Here I am.” The peek-a-boo moment arrives when we become present to others the way God makes himself present to us.
Matthew 5: Jesus Fulfills the Pattern
Jesus stands before his disciples and declares their identity: “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” He calls them to let their light shine through good works that cause others to glorify the Father. Then he makes his mission statement: he came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.
The Great Commandment captures what fulfillment means—love God with everything you have, love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus embodies this perfectly. He shows us God’s “Here I am” in human flesh, and he demonstrates the human “Here we are” in complete obedience. His righteousness exceeds the scribes and Pharisees because it flows from the inside out, transforming heart and action together. The religious leaders performed rituals; Jesus lived the reality those rituals pointed toward. He became the perfect peek-a-boo revelation—God visible to humanity, humanity responsive to God—all in one person.
1 Corinthians 2: The Spirit Empowers the Response
Paul explains how this transformation happens. Human wisdom produces religious performance. The Spirit produces worship that aligns with God’s character. Paul preached Christ crucified in weakness and trembling, relying on the Spirit’s demonstration and power rather than persuasive rhetoric.
The Spirit searches the deep things of God and reveals them to us. He gives us access to what God freely offers. He teaches us to compare spiritual things with spiritual things. Through the Spirit, we receive the mind of Christ—the ability to think God’s thoughts, value what he values, and act in ways that reflect his character. This explains how we move from Isaiah’s critique to Isaiah’s promise. The Spirit bridges the gap between who God is and who we become. He empowers our “Here we are” by continually revealing God’s “Here I am.”
Living the Peek-a-Boo Pattern
Worship begins with seeing God clearly. He shows us his character—gracious, compassionate, just, generous—and calls us to mirror that character toward others. The game breaks down when we separate religious activity from concrete acts of mercy and justice. It works when our love for God flows directly into love for neighbor.
This week, look for your peek-a-boo moments. Where does God reveal himself to you? In Scripture, in creation, in the face of someone who needs what you have to offer? And where does he invite your response? Maybe through the coworker everyone avoids, the neighbor struggling with groceries, the family member who needs reconciliation, the injustice you have the power to address.
Jesus showed us the pattern in perfect unity. The Spirit gives us the power to follow. Each time we embody God’s character toward others, we experience his delighted response: “Here I am!” And the game continues, drawing us deeper into the joy of mutual presence.
Points to Ponder
- When have you experienced God’s presence most strongly? What characterized your worship during that season?
- Which aspect of God’s character (gracious, compassionate, just, generous) feels hardest to mirror in your daily life right now?
- Where might God be inviting you to say “Here we are” through a concrete act of justice or mercy this week?
- How does understanding worship as relationship rather than performance change your approach to spiritual practices?
- In what ways do you rely on the Spirit’s power versus your own effort to live out your faith?
Prayer
Father, you reveal yourself as light in our darkness, as generous provider, as the one who answers when we call. Forgive us when our worship contradicts your character—when we perform religious activities while ignoring the hungry, the oppressed, the stranger. Through your Spirit, transform us into people who embody your nature toward others. Give us the joy of saying “Here we are” in response to your “Here I am.” Through Jesus Christ, who perfectly fulfilled this pattern and invites us to follow. Amen.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” —Matthew 5:16
Josh Cehulik 