We have two indoor cats, sisters that have never been outside. They look nothing alike. One is grey and black with long hair. Her name is Pepper. The other is black and white with short hair. Her name is Mittens. Don’t laugh, but my wife and I are convinced they understand more human words than we understand cat words, which is zero.
I had an appointment at 10:00 this morning to take Pepper in to have her hair trimmed, then for her shot at the vet’s office, which is in the same building. Pepper was under my feet all morning, wanting a snack, until I called the vet’s office around 9:15. I haven’t seen her since. I had to reschedule her hair trimming appointment and needless to say, her shot at the vet’s office. She is hiding from me, and this isn’t the first time this has happened.
I got to thinking about this from another angle, and I had to ask myself, “I wonder how often I have run off to hide from God?” How many times has He wanted to do what is best for us, but we have hidden ourselves from His presence, so we think? I can’t find Pepper right now and there is no point in looking, but can we really hide from God? Indulge me while we read what King David had to say about this.
“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.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them. (Psalm 139:7-16 NASB)
Wow! Regardless of where we are, what we are doing and even thinking, God is there. He knows all, and I mean “ALL.” There is no place to hide from Him. That’s really something to think about; especially when we think we’re getting by with ‘mischief.’ Maybe that’s why two of God’s attributes are called being ‘omnipresent’ and ‘omniscient.’
He knows all about us before we were even formed in our mother’s womb. He knows how many days we will live even before we live the first day.
We sing of Santa Claus, “he knows when you’ve been bad or good,” but that is actually a lie. However, in God’s case, it is most definitely true in every sense of the word.
I spent a lot of time in the past trying to hide from God. Have you? Maybe that is what you are doing right now. If you are a child of God, quit wasting your life and come out of hiding. We really aren’t living at all until we are living in His will. I’m not saying that everything is going to be a beautiful bed of roses. I am saying that true peace and happiness can only be found when we are in His will, living out in the open in the warmth of His light.
Maybe you’re not a child of God. Do you really think He knows nothing about you or what you’re going through? Do you really think He doesn’t care? Whether you are His child or not, Jesus says,
“Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6-7 NASB)
If you were not important to God, He would never have died and rose again so you could have eternal life with Him. If you were not important, He would never have provided so much for you if you call upon His Son Jesus to be saved.
We cannot hide from God. Many will laugh it off and say, “Nonsense!” He still knows who you really are, not what you portray to others, but who you ‘really’ are. He knows where you are. He knows your heart.
At the Judgment Seat of Christ, every Christian’s works will be judged by Jesus Christ in order to present us with rewards for our faithful service. Salvation is not an issue. That is settled. He wants to reward us for what we have done for Him. Are you in hiding, or living for Him out in the open?
At the great White Throne Judgment, every unbeliever of all ages will stand before Him to be judged for their works. Again, salvation is not an issue, because no one standing before Him on that day will have salvation. They will not possess eternal life, but instead eternal death. Only their works will be judged, and no one will have enough. Their works will have to measure up to the works of Christ, and none will. All will be cast into the Lake of Fire. Are you in hiding? He knows all about you. Why not come to Him now and ask Him to save you?
“For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand;
it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” (Romans 10:5-13 NLT)
Christians, if we’re going to hide, let’s do it God’s way.
“Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.” (Psalm 119:114)
Grant Phillips
Email: grantphillips@windstream.net
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html