Remember your young children standing across the room with either their hands over their eyes or a blanket over their head saying, “you can’t see me”. Psychologists tell us preschool children’s brains haven’t developed enough to distinguish their perspective from someone else’s. They think by covering their eyes so they can’t see you, you can’t see them. You might be thinking like me, “that sounds like a lot of adults I know trying to hide from God.”
Efforts to hide from God have been around since the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve 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). People’s attempt to hide continues through scripture to the end of time. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne” (Rev 6:15, 16). Anyone who thinks they can hide from His presence should consider this verse. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Heb 4:13).
Running and trying to hide from God isn’t confined to unbelievers; believers do the same. One of the most known stories is Jonah the Prophet. He wanted to escape the Lord’s calling. God told him go to Nineveh the capital of Assyria and announce judgment. But they were Israel’s worst enemy. Jonah understood God’s love and that He would forgive them if they repented. That was the last thing Jonah desired for this wicked nation. He thought if he got as far away from the land of Israel as possible that he could hide. So he bought a ticket to Tarshish the farthest location one could travel. He even hid in the lowest part of the ship. As a prophet, Jonah was knowledgeable about scriptures. However, he must not have read King David’s psalm, Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence (Psa 139:7)?
Regardless, Jonah believed he was hidden. Sorry Jonah, the Lord was present and had already appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah in order to save him when he was thrown overboard. After three days and three nights God had his attention and Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish (Jon 1:17-2:1). Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land (v10). And what did God say? The Lord spoke to Jonah a second time, “go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you” (3:1, 2 NLT)—same calling; same message. Over 700 years later Paul wrote for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable (Rom 11:29 NIV).
The lesson for us, if God has called you whether as a child, a teenage, or an adult you may believe you can run away and hide, but you are like a child with your hands over your spiritual eyes telling yourself ‘He can’t see me’. One of the best-known parables Jesus taught was the story of the lost son, commonly known as the prodigal son. This young man wanted to get away from his Father, his control, his way of thinking, and his confining values. He did not accept the Jewish Law. He did something unheard of for a Jewish son; he asked for his portion of the inheritance. That was the most radical rejection of his father’s love and position. In the Jewish culture, it was liking telling his father, “I wish you were dead”. The father granted his request. In a few days, he packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land. Now he was finally free, so he thought. He wasted everything he had, a famine came, and he ended up feeding pigs merely to stay alive. Far worse than any constraints he had at home.
Here’s the key for everyone running and hiding, he came to his senses. He remembered the blessings and joy at home. He said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death (Lk 15:17 NIV). He got up and went home where the Father received him with open arms. A distant land doesn’t have to be a foreign geographical location. For so many it’s drugs, alcohol, immoral life style, false beliefs, resentment of parents, or preachers. It doesn’t matter the Father wants you home. Christians can hide themselves from the call of God in the work, family activities, hobbies, entertainment, even church ministries and never surrender to their calling. Most runners and hiders try to push any thoughts of God to the back of their mind.
Sustaining Word for the Week: Are you running? Do you think you are hidden? People are praying you come to your senses. For some of you, ‘Go fulfill God’s calling.” For others, “God is saying come home.”