We Cannot Hide From God

Psalm 139:7

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

I was visiting over the weekend to the home of one of my daughters. Here children and I played hide-and-seek. They hid and I went looking for them. They did a good job of hiding for 5 and almost 3. But each time I found them. It didn’t hurt that the 3-year-old would chime up with I said – oh where oh where could my sweet granddaughters be. She would say – here I am pop. It was fun playing with them.

The kids were over Sunday afternoon. We may begin a regular tradition of family time at our home on Sunday afternoons. All three of our daughters are now in Maryland along with our two sons and five granddaughters. Family time at the McDonald estate on Sunday afternoons! My mom and dad would be pleased!

During this most recent visit – one of the grandchildren was running from her parents – not a game to the parents – a time-out followed. She tried to hide – she tried to run – she tried to stay away from her mom – but the mom eventually won (like I said – a time-out followed).

Running and hiding from a parent is something most children have done or will do. We do it with our heavenly Parent as well. We try to hide our sins – our failures – our mistakes.

Here’s today’s passage in partial context. Psalm 139:1–18 – ¹ You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. ² You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. ³ You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. ⁴ Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. ⁵ You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. ⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. ⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? ⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. ⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, ¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. ¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” ¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. ¹³ For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. ¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! ¹⁸ Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.

We cannot hide from God. We cannot run from God. God sees us at every turn of life. God sees all and knows all. God is ever present. Instead of trying to hide from God – we should try to be in His presence more. We should strive to live such a life that we will not feel like running or hiding. Let’s try that for Lent this year – which begins on Wednesday!

Just something for us to think about today as we go on our way.

P.S. Join us on Shrove Tuesday – February 13 – from 5-7 pm for pancakes!

Join us on Ash Wednesday – February 14 – from 6-7 am for the Imposition of Ashes and a Blessing.

Join us on Ash Wednesday – February 14 – at 7 pm for an Ash Wednesday service