Hide and Seek

July 13, 2009

~Denise Grant

 

“For I am closely watching you and I see every sin. You cannot hope to hide from me.” Jeremiah 16:17 (TLB)

 

 

~Do you have a sinful attitude or action that you hope God won’t notice?

 

      As I walked into the room, I immediately noticed something was strangely abnormal.  Multiple gum wrappers lay at the foot of the stairs leading to the dining room, and I had just stepped into something cold and mushy; now squishing between my toes. Quickly grabbing a few tissues from my desk, I hobbled through the dining room, while attempting to clean the sticky concoction from my bare foot.

    

      By the time I reached the kitchen, I had picked up my keys and a few credit cards found lying on the dining room floor. I quickly called out for my then, three-year-old daughter, “Natalie, where are you honey?”

 

     As I headed toward her bedroom, I noticed paper receipts strewn down the hall. Once again, I called out for my daughter, but she did not respond. Where could she be, and why would she not answer me?

  

      Three feet later - I learned why. There she sat - in the middle of her bedroom floor – her hands elbow-deep into my purse – my make up all over her face – and her eyes shut tight – extremely tight.

 

    I abruptly shrieked, “Natalie honey, what are you doing? You know you’re not allowed in Mommy’s purse. Now help me pick this up!” 

 

    While I scampered to retrieve my purse’s contents, I suddenly realized, no small hands were eagerly helping. I glanced over at my daughter – and discovered her; still happily plundering my purse – eyes shut tight.

 

     Small children think that if they can’t see you, then you can’t see them. The people of Israel may have wished that hiding from God was as simple as closing their eyes. Although they shut their eyes to their sinful ways – their sins certainly weren’t hidden from God.

 

     After sinning, the guilt Adam and Eve felt, made them run from God and try to hide. Your guilty conscience is a warning signal God placed inside you that goes off when you’ve done wrong – making you aware of your sin so you can ask God to forgive you and correct your wrongdoing.

 

     The worst thing you could do is to eliminate the guilty feelings without eliminating the cause. That is like using a pain killer – but not addressing the cause of your pain.

    

     To acknowledge that God knows about your sins is the first step towards repentance.  “End all wickedness, O Lord, and bless all who truly worship God; for you, the righteous God, look deep within the hearts of men and examine all their motives and their thoughts.” Psalms 7:9

   

      Perhaps your hands are elbow-deep in wrongdoing – and your eyes are shut tight – hopeful those sinful ways are hidden from God. 

 

     How can any of us be so silly to think we can hide from God? He who sees all cannot be deceived. Share all of your thoughts and ways with Him –nothing or no one is hidden from His sight or knowledge.

 

Father God,

 

     I come to You admitting I am a sinner.. I believe that Your Son, Jesus, died on the cross and rose from the dead to take away my sins. Jesus, I choose to follow You and ask that You fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can understand more about You. Thank You for forgiving my sins, adopting me and making me Your child. In Your Holy name, Amen!

 

    

Denise Grant - Just "clay" in the Master Potter's hands.

 

The man who walks with God always gets to his destination.

If you have a  pulse you have a purpose.