Hide and Seek

Welcome to the first Unseen of 2015. I hope your holiday was wonderful, and if it was not, I hope you are able to find the good in it. Which brings us to today's story. You're probably familiar with the "Happy Church Face" or maybe with what I call the "Swirling Vortex of Terror"(From Finding Nemo), That place where your thoughts whirl and gather steam until one nagging doubt becomes a raging storm. Both of these are responses to situations we want to hide from. Read on for lessons from a childhood game. 

Hide and Seek

The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and they are saved. Proverbs 18:10

5, 4, 3, 2, 1….. Ready or not, here I come! I heard her footsteps coming my way, and squeezed tighter into my hiding place. I tried not to make any noise, but it was hard. I heard a closet door open and hangers being scraped across the bar. Then I heard the closet door close and the footsteps coming closer. The door to my hiding place was open just a crack and I could see her tennis shoes. Cabinets and closets opened and closed. Then she turned around and left the other room, heading down the hall. I decided it was safe to try to get to base and carefully pushed open the door of my hiding place. I heard a creak and then footsteps running my way, and then the dreaded words. “I gotcha!” Hide and seek was so much fun, but we outgrew it, right?

The people in the Bible were good at hiding. It started with Adam and Eve, hiding from God in the garden (Genesis  ) . Moses hid from his secret in the desert of Midian.(Exodus) The angel found Gideon hiding in the wine press, and greeted him by saying, Hail, Mighty man of  valor.(Judges) Then David hiding from King Saul, and on and on.

I have two questions. What is your hiding place? Is it your happy church face? I like that one, myself. Maybe yours is drugs or alcohol, food, work or maybe even your bed.  Second, what are you hiding from? Is it past mistakes or secrets? Is it persecution or injustice? Is it temptation or sadness? Maybe it is responsibilities and success. Whatever you're hiding from and wherever you're hiding, the solution is the same. David knew the answer. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and they are saved(Proverbs 18:10). Psalms 17:8 says Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 64:7 we read, "Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the plots of evildoers. Throughout the Psalms and prophets we find God urging us to hide in Him and rest in Him, instead of hiding from him. Listen, and you can hear the Lord of Heaven and Earth say, "I gotcha"!