Hiding from God

~ Nancy Goring

When my daughter (I won't say which one- she knows who she is :) was about three years old, I scolded her and told her she was going to get a spanking. She ran away giggling into her bedroom. Yes, I know this sounds strange, but bear with me. I followed her into the bedroom and didn't see her immediately. Then I noticed she was stangin in her closet with the door wide open and her hands were covering her eyes as if she were playing Hide and Seek. I called her by name and said, "What do you think you are doing?" She shouted out, "You can't see me." You may have experienced the same thing with your children when they were young. They believe that if they can't see you, then you can't see them! This lack of understanding in a small child is sweet and precious, but even Christians believe the same about our Heavenly Father. The think He can't see when we are committing sin! Nothing could be further from the truth.

The apostle Paul told us, "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child. I thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things," (I Corinthians 13:11). As adults, we need to realize the God will not accept our sins. We cannot hide from Him, and we cannot hide our behavior from Him, even if it is a sin of the heart or mind, such as envy or malice, jealousy or hatred.

Keeping this in mind, let's see what David has to say about our Father and His all-seeing capabilities: "Whither shall I go from the spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yeah, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou has possessed my riens: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb," (Psalm 139: 7-13). Our God is everywhere and this should give us comfort, not an uneasy feeling. He was with us at conception, through the entirety of our mother's pregnancy, through our birth and will be with us through in this life until death.....................except for the Christian, He will still be with us through all of eternity, and that should be most comforting of all! David realized this and went on to say, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are they works; and that my soul knoweth right well" (Psalm 139:14

We need to open our eyes and see the marvelous works of God and His eternal plan for His children. When we do, we will realize that nothing can be hid from the One who gives life, love, salvation to the obedient, and a home in heaven for eternity. He is not willing that ANY should perish, but that all would come to repentance (Hebrews 12:17). Don't cover your eyes, friends, thinking all will be well, but realize that God is in His heaven and wants us to read and study His Word with open eyes and an open heart and obey His gospel.

Nancy is the wife of Bill Goring, gospel preacher for the Chipman Road church of Christ. She has 4 children, 11 grandchildren and has taught Bible class for over 40 years, published several books including: Behavior Becoming Holiness: Studies in Titus Chapter 2 and Overcoming our Self-Imposed Prisons.