Playing Hide and Seek with God

Have you ever tried to hide from someone and did a really bad job, they found you without even looking very hard? My youngest daughter loves to try and hide from me at night when it is time for her to get in bed. She usually climbs under the sheets and starts giggling. I walk into her room and see this giggling, jiggling mound under her bed spread and know right away where she is. I usually drag things out by looking in the closet saying "nope, she's not in there." or looking under her bed saying "Where in the world is she?" The giggles get louder and she finally throws the sheet back and says "Here I am!"

As I was reading this morning I came across a passage I have somehow missed. I was in I Samuel and have read the book several times but never remember seeing this particular passage.

I Samuel 10: 20-22 - 20 When Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. 21 Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri’s clan was chosen. Finally Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. 22 So they inquired further of the LORD, “Has the man come here yet?”

And the LORD said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”

Wow, is that passage loaded! Here is a man appointed by God to lead Israel. Not just any man, I Samuel 9 describes him as handsome and tall. Seeing as how he was from the middle east my guess is that he was dark complected so you could say Saul was tall, dark and handsome. Sounds like who a lot of guys want to look like and a lot of women want to be with! But look at what Saul did, he hid among the baggage. We are not given any more than that but I had to ask, where was the baggage, how much baggage was there, and did he really think he could hide from God?

I found myself laughing at Saul just like I laugh at my daughter when she tries to hide from me. But I realized I do the same thing. I try to hide from God by not spending time with him, by sometimes thinking that if I am really quiet and do not ask for anything or do not stir anything or anyone up God will forget about me. But when I stop to really think about this I have to laugh at myself.

Jeremiah 23: 24 - Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?" declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD.

Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Job 34:21 "His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step.

Job 34:22 There is no dark place, no deep shadow, where evildoers can hide.

Psalm 139:7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

These passages can be both a comfort and a warning. We cannot go anywhere to escape the eyes of God, he can always find us, he can always rescue us regardless of how far we have strayed from him. But, he can also see all that we do and think. He will not allow us to continue living in sin and get away with it. There is coming a day when we will have to give an account.

Regardless of how well you think you have hidden yourself or your actions from God just remember he is right there saying "I see you!"