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Hiding from God

"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.... Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."¹

You may have read about the strict professor (supposedly at the University of California) who was extremely rigid with his students. In reminding them about their final exam for the course he was teaching, he said they were not to begin their test until he told them exactly when they were to commence, and after exactly one hour they were to finish precisely at the time he said they were to stop, and immediately bring their test and place it on the front desk as they left the class room. If they failed to follow his instructions precisely, he would fail them.

So... at the final exam all the students followed the professor's instructions exactly as he demanded—except for one student who kept writing after they were told to stop. The professor demanded that he stop writing, but he didn't. He just kept working on his final exam. When he was finished, he brought his test to the front desk where the furious professor was sitting.

"Why didn't you follow my instructions?" the professor demanded.

"Because I needed more time," the student replied.

"Don't you know I am going to fail you? What is your name?"

"You mean you don't know my name?" the student replied.

"How could I?" the professor barked, "I have 400 students in this class!"

"Good," said the student as he slipped his test into the pile of 399 other examination papers on the professor's desk—and walked out of the room!

In this life we can hide all sorts of things from all sorts of people, but we can never hide from God. He sees all. He knows all. And He loves and accepts us anyhow. But we can also be sure that, unless forgiven, our sins will find us out—even if it is eventually!

Suggested prayer, "Dear God, thank You that I can never hide from You, that You know all about me, and that You always know where I am and what I am doing. Help me to so live that I will never need to be afraid of Your seeing me, and help me to take comfort in the fact that no matter what circumstances I am in, You will never leave me nor forsake me. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Psalm 139:1, 7-14 (NIV).

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