Nowhere to Hide

Well, bless my ol’ weary bones and these ol’ front porch boards, too! Friend, you came at just the right time. Pull up a rocker and settle yourself in real good. I’ve sho’-nuff’ been thinkin’ this mornin’ about how folks try to hide from God, the way a child hides behind a curtain even though their feet stick out plain as day. We get mighty creative sometimes actin’ like the Lord can’t see us if we duck low enough or run fast enough. But He fills heaven and earth, and there ain’t no nook or cranny He can’t find to be hidin’ in.

Jeremiah 23:24 says, “Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him, says the Lord.” Jonah tried to outrun God by hoppin’ a ship headed in the opposite direction. He plum thought distance would do the trick. But the Lord sent a storm that found Jonah quicker than a gust of wind finds a loose hat. There ain’t no place we can go where God’s presence does not reach.

And Psalm 139:12 says, “The darkness shall not hide from You.” Friend, that there means even when we think we’re tucked away like a forgotten box in the attic, God plum sees us clear as sunrise. He doesn’t lose track of us. He doesn’t shrug and say, “Well, they slipped away.” His eyes stay on us with love that refuses to quit.

Sometimes we hide because we’re plum ashamed. Sometimes we hide because we’re real stubborn. Sometimes we hide because we sho’-nuff’ think we plum know better. But God doesn’t chase us to scold us. He chases us to downright save us. Jonah ran, but God ran a whole lot faster. Jonah hid, but God saw a whole lot deeper. Jonah slept, but God shook the boat until he woke up.

Father, thank You for seein’ us even when we try to hide. Thank You for lovin’ us enough to come after us when we git to wanderin’. Help us to stop runnin’, stop hidin’, and start trustin’ Your presence. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Alright then, friend, you go on now and git to walkin’ right on into the rest of your day with a heart that is plum lighter than fresh laundry flappin’ on a clothesline. Let the truth settle down real deep that God really does see you, know you, and love you. Walk steady, stay honest, and keep close to Him because He’s already walkin’ close to you no matter where you go.

With joy,

Gwen