You Can’t Hide from God’s Presence
By Dean Collins
I have observed that my grandchildren and I share a common problem. Our stuff seems to disappear from time to time. From the 3-year-olds up to the 16-year-old, I have witnessed this firsthand. It is time to go somewhere and one of the grandchildren needs to locate their shoes, or books, or some other important item, and they can’t find them. Parents or grandparents may ask, “Have you looked in your room?” or some other location, and almost always the answer is yes followed by, “I have looked everywhere!”
I hope I am not the only middle- to senior-aged person who occasionally can’t find their glasses, or keys, or phone. And of course, when Penny asks if I have looked…, my answer is just like the kids… “I have looked everywhere!”
My conclusion might be that some things are simply nowhere to be found! But we both know that my conclusion is false. In fact, with just one space on the keyboard we can move from nowhere to be found to “now here” to be found! Those shoes, toys, keys, phones are in fact “now here,” but we just haven’t figured out how to move towards them. In Psalm 139: 7 David asks this question: “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” I am pretty sure that these questions didn’t imply that God was nowhere to be found, but rather the questions suggest that no matter what is going on in our lives, at any moment God is in fact present and available whether we are looking for him or not.
During the first week of January this year I memorized a verse from Deuteronomy that might be helpful today:
“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
What Moses and David have told us is that God is everywhere. The two-dollar word for that is omnipresent. Jonah found this out when he tried to run from God. You can’t run or hide because our God is always moving ahead of us, behind us, and with us on every side. Jeremiah the prophet quoted God in 23:23-24:
“Am I a God at hand and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth?”
Today as you face whatever is in front of you, take a moment and remind yourself that God is now here and ready to help you no matter how big the mountain you must climb. Our God is with us and for us and, as Moses reminded the children of Israel, “He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Father, forgive us for the times we think we can run or hide from you. Forgive us for the times we simply forget that you are with us. Today we acknowledge you as now here with us. We ask that you grant us wisdom and courage in all our activities today. Use us today to bring glory to your name. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Psalm 139:7-12; Jeremiah 24:23-24; Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV
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