Almost everybody knows how to play “hide and seek.” I think it is one of the first games that children learn to play. What fun it is to have your daddy hide and then try to find him. Where could he be? In the closet? Behind a curtain? Under a bed? “MAKE A NOISE, DADDY. WE CAN’T FIND YOU!”
It does not take long for children to learn how to find someone. They soon know all the good hiding places. But it is harder to teach children how to hide. They have to learn to be very quiet, to stay completely out of sight, and to keep very still. All three of these are hard for children to do.
I can remember when my children were quite small and just learning to play hide and seek. I had told them to go hide while I counted up to 50. They ran off squealing as I counted, "1 2... 3 ... 48 49 ... 50! HERE I COME, READY OR NOT!”
I looked carefully all over downstairs and then went upstairs into their bedroom. What do you think I found? They were very quiet and they were perfectly still, but they were not out of sight! They both were lying on the floor with their heads under the bed. They couldn’t see anything, and so they thought they were hidden. But the rest of their bodies, from their shoulders down, were in plain view!
Are you trying to hide from God? Some people are. What they are really trying to hide from Him are their sins. How foolish! The Bible says that “His [God’s] eyes are upon the ways of man, and He seeth all his goings.” Job 34:2121For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. (Job 34:21). What does God see? “The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:77But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7). Yes, He sees and knows everything about us, so why try to hide? It is impossible! We must bow before Him, admitting that we are sinners, and accept His Son the Lord Jesus as our Saviour. Then we won’t want to hide from Him any longer, but we will want to be as close as we can be to Him “who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20).
ML-12/16/1984