April 22, 2018
Hiding from God
For the Son of Man has
come to seek and to save that which was lost
(Luke 19:10).
God is eager to be found by us. Are we eager to be found by God?
Just as we are to know God, we are to welcome being known by God (1
Corinthians 8:3). Our privilege is not only to lay hold of eternal life, but
also to be laid hold of
by
God (Philippians 3:12). We should not only seek God, but also be aware
that we are sought
by God (Matthew 18:10-14).
Like Adam and Eve, many of us prefer to hide from God. “And they heard the
sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and
his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the
garden” (Genesis 3:8). Having been made in God’s image, we still have a deep
longing for God. But having sinned, we are also ashamed and fearful. There is a
strong temptation for us to run away.
Strictly speaking, of course, there is no hiding from God. “There is no
creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of
Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). The only question is
whether we’ll deal honorably with the truth when God confronts us with it.
God’s gracious purpose is that we grow in holiness, which means growing to be
like God in our innermost character. This growth can be accomplished only if we
accept the truth of what God sees in us now and surrender ourselves to God’s
remedial love. Both the diagnosis and the treatment will likely involve serious
pain. But shouldn’t we desire
what God wants for us as passionately as we desire
what we want from God?
Shouldn’t we want growth in our character as much as we want comfort, and
holiness as much as happiness? Such good things can come to us only on the basis
of truth. There is no other way. There is no acceptable substitute for reality.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if
there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm
139:23‑24). Without such honesty, there is no growth toward God.
Batter my heart, three
personed God; for you
As yet but knock,
breathe, shine, and seek to mend;
That I may rise and
stand, o’erthrow me and bend
Your force to break,
blow, burn and make me new.
John Donne