An older retired couple invited us to their house for lunch after morning worship. Both were dedicated workers in the church. He and I chatted after the meal. I learned he had worked in electronics as I had before entering the ministry. I made the comment, “You must have enjoyed your work.” He quickly corrected me, “No, I’ve hated every single minute.” He went on to explain the Lord called him into the ministry as a teenager, but he ran from it and attended electronics school. But even after completing his training and finding a job, God’s call persisted. He thought he could hide from his guilt by getting involved in the church, but never could escape God’s tugging at his heart. As a result, he shared with me he had lived a miserable and unhappy life.
Attempting to run and hide from God is as old as the Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve sinned, they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden (Gen 3:8). The irony in this is they were trying to hide from an omniscience, all knowing God. When the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He wasn’t asking for their location. God knew exactly where they were. He asked for Adam and Eve’s sake wanting them to acknowledge why they were hiding. Sinful humanity has been running and trying to hide from God ever since. They will continue until the end of time. Men hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains . . . and said “Fall on us and hide us from His presence (Rev 6:15, 16).
My favorite type of deer hunting was with dogs—a southern tradition in only nine states now. The club where I was a member for many years used a variety of breeds from large hounds to small beagles. Because of their short legs, the beagles couldn’t run fast however, they had a strong sense of smell and their greatest quality was they were persistent. Once they picked up a sense, they would not stop until the handlers caught them. Ok, I’m not comparing God to a hunting dog, but if you run and He gets on your trail, there is no stopping Him and no place you can hide. Why? Because He loves you and desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). God doesn’t chase you in order to punish you, but to restore fellowship with you and to bless you.
Two main groups of people run from God. First are individuals who have heard the Gospel and been convicted of their sin, but never received Christ as Savior. The second are believers who begin serving God but for some reason they stray or run away. Some try to hide from God’s call into ministry. They don’t always leave the church, but seek to bury His calling as the man in the opening paragraph. I ran for a ten years. I received salvation when I was fourteen but soon began running and hiding from a total commitment. People who know me have often said, “You sure have done a lot of different things in your life.” I was seeking for something that would fill the empty place in my heart. I call it the God place, and only God can fill it. After I reached the point that I had every earthly possession I ever wanted—a wonderful wife, a new high-level job, a new house, a boat, etc. I was still empty and dissatisfied. After all those years of vain searching, I finally committed all to Him, instantly He filled my void, and I have never regretted it.
The best-known runner in the Bible is Jonah. God called him as a missionary to Nineveh. Instead, he boarded a ship headed for Tarsus, which was probably on the coast of modern day Spain. It was the furthest location known on earth. Jonah must have believed God wasn’t there. He had apparently forgotten David’s Psalm. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me (Psa 139:7-10). The Lord was on the ship with him and after the crew threw Jonah overboard, God arranged for a great fish to take Jonah to back to shore.
Many issues can cause us to run and hide—false understanding of God, His love, and grace; fear is a major cause because of sin in one’s life; don’t want to give up worldly pleasure; pride because we don’t want to humble ourselves in the presence of the Lord (Jam 4:10). You can run but you can’t hide. “Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?” declares the LORD (Jer 23:24). And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him . . . (Heb 4:13).
Sustaining Word for the Week: As God asked Adam and Eve, “Where are you?”—hiding in the trees or enjoying His fellowship. Remember, He won’t give up the chase.