Why does God not appear before us?

Why does God not appear before us? Why are we unable to realize God quickly?
Why not now?
Does this mean that God is not compassionate? Are we not God’s children? Can the Lord not appear before us immediately on our crying out to Him, “Oh, Lord! I desire to see you!”?
Several reasons may be cited for God not blessing us with His darshan, such as lack of devotion on our part, God lacking the power to appear before us or His unwillingness to appear before us due to pride! But none of them seems true. The mere status of us being His children overrules all other criteria like bhakti, faith, etc. A father feels bound to his child for the very reason that it is his child and bestows everything on him turning a blind eye to all his shortcomings. Likewise, Godcan bless us, His children, with His darshan as soon as we call out to Him, for He does possess the power, desire, compassion and kindness. However, in Srimad Bhagavatam we find that even the greatest bhakta, Prahlad, faced persecutions – he was thrown into the fire, rolled down a mountain, poisoned, trampled upon by an elephant, thrown into the mouth of a lion, etc. Hence the question “Should one earn the darshan of God only after undergoing such troubles? Should God persecute a bhakta to this extent before blessing him with His darshan?” does arise.
All bhaktas – be they of Itihasa-Purana Age or of this Age – have practiced some kind of sadhana and earned the darshan of God only at the end of hardships. (Well! What does the term ‘sadhana’ mean? Great ones have attained the everlasting bliss of Moksha by following a certain path. To follow such a trodden path is verily known as sadhana. To follow a path as per our whims and fancies will not form ‘sadhana’.)
We know not if we are capable of sitting quietly – even for a few minutes – in a place that lacks the comfort of an air conditioner or fan, or in a place infested with mosquitoes. But in the Bhagavatam, we find that a little boy of five years sat in a forest for six months without food or water: it was only after passing through such hardships did he succeed in having darshan of God. Take the case of Narada. In his earlier birth God eluded him with the words ‘avipakvakashAyANAm durdarshOham kuyOginAm’ – ‘I do not give darshan to the immature. Come to Me in your next birth’.
In the case of the great Muchukunda, Lord Krishna led the wicked Kalayavana into the cave where he was; after Muchukunda burnt down Kalayavana, the Lord gave His darshan to Muchukunda. We deem that darshan of God would bestow Moksha on us, don’t we? In Bhagavatam we find that when Muchukunda asked of God, “Will I be blessed with Moksha?”, the Lord said, “Take another birth!”
Bhaktas have undergone severe hardships before attaining Realization of the Lord! Why?
Let us say that a student who is not good at academics and has got a low score, dreams of a medical seat in a renowned University. Though wholly aware of his limitations he desires the lofty career of an expert surgeon. Let us say that through some divine blessings he secures the desired (surgery) certification in a flash!
Would he really feel elated? Would it not unsettle him to think, that even though he managed to get the certificate, how he could operate on a patient when he could not use even a stethoscope or feel the pulse?
He has been given what he sought but it proves to be of no use to him.
In the same way, what would you do if God does bless you with His darshan? What do you know about God? God might bless you with His darshan but will you be able to appreciate it? We know nothing about God. Just as this incapable student suffers the certificate earned (that proves to be of no use to him), so too, darshan of God that may occur suddenly would prove to be of no use to us. God blesses His darshan on a sadhak only after helping him mature. This is a process. This does not certainly mean tormenting the bhakta. The Lord is continuously leading the bhakta to a higher level. God had declared that He will not give darshan to the immature (‘avipakva’). Can one then decipher the term ‘avipakva’ to be torment? Certainly not! So, it is only to help the bhakta progress spiritually that he undergoes such hardships. Only in a truly matured state can a devotee truly appreciate and make the most of the darshan of Bhagavan.
Why not now?
God says,”Wait! Be patient! I am already working on you to make you mature for My darshan!”