When Aiden was about 4, we went to the playground one day in the late fall. He wanted to play hide and seek, so I turned my back while he went to find somewhere to hide. Rather than me counting, Paul stood beside me, watching Aiden so he could tell me when Aiden was ready. When Paul laughed and said "Okay," I turned around to see Aiden crouched behind a bush without a single leaf on it. It was all I could do not to burst out laughing at the sight of him "hiding" behind something that didn't hide him at all.
Over the years I've had so many kids ask, "Can you see me?" Invariably, I look at them to find they've covered their eyes with their hands or they're hiding behind something only big enough to cover their face while the rest of their body is perfectly visible. In their toddler minds, as long as they can't see me, then I must not be able to see them.
We may not be toddlers, but we still sometimes forget how easily and completely God sees us. Sometimes that's because we want to do something (or have done something) we prefer God not witness, so we fool ourselves into thinking our actions are hidden from Him. Other times we feel abandoned and wonder if He sees us.
Either way, God always sees us. There is no place we can go that would hide us from His sight, nothing we could do that He wouldn't see and no struggle we endure that He doesn't witness. Psalm 139 is full of references to His omniscience, beginning with "O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away" (vv. 1,2).
Then verses 7-12 say,
I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
Background quilt is Flower Path |
Next time you wonder if God can see you, remember the toddler who can't hide by putting their fingers over their eyes. Just as we can see the child, God can see us.
Oh Leanne! This is such a wonderful analogy to remind us that God sees everything. He’s in and through all things; we can’t get away from Him. Didn’t an Old Testament character try to hide from God? Well, Adam and Eve did, because they were ashamed of their nakedness. Still, God saw them and knew what they had done. So much to ponder in this post. Thank you for your insights.
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