"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed
before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable." Hebrews 4:13 NLT
One, two, three . . . twenty. Ready or not, here I come. Hide n Seek is one of those
children's games that remains popular in spite of technological advances. I
played it when I was a child in the 1960's and 50 plus years later children
still enjoy it. What makes it so tantalizing is puzzling. Perhaps it's the
adrenaline rush that comes from hiding in some concealed place while at the same
time not being able to see the person searching for you. Or the surprise and
fright that comes with being suddenly discovered when you didn't know you were
about to be.
The above verse hadn't been written when Adam and Eve were created and fell into
sin. Had it been, they could have saved themselves some trouble by trying to
hide physically from God and by trying to cover their awareness of sin. Elijah
tried hiding in a cave, Gideon in a winepress, and Jonah in the belly of a great
fish.
Anytime I willfully sin and don't confess it, I'm attempting to hide from God .
. . in
the darkness . . . where I think no one sees. My actions are illogical and foolish
since God sees all-actions that occur in the darkness and the light. The
irrational nature of sin leads me to such stupidity. How foolish to think that
the creature can hide from the Creator. Others are the only ones I can hide my
sin from, and even this is touchy since my sins normally involve others.
Satan rules the kingdom of darkness. By sinning, I'm hiding in his territory
which is all about underhanded, ungodly, and selfish acts. Darkness doesn't like
light just as the one found doesn't enjoy having the flashlight shone on them.
It means they've been discovered.
The good news is that God still loves me even when I occasionally try to hide in
the darkness. In spite of my many attempts to conceal my sin from him, he still
invites me to confess and be found. Are there ways in which you are trying to
hide from God?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for seeking us when we try to hide from Your light
and truth.
Martin Wiles
Hodges,
South Carolina, USA
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