The Hiding Place - Martin Wiles

For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Psalm 32:7 NLT

One sheet and four kitchen chairs made a perfect hiding place.

Lovey was my maternal grandmother’s half-sister. My memories of her are fading, but I recall her playing with my cousin and me. One of our favorite activities was making a tent. We did this by taking a sheet and spreading it over four kitchen chairs. Seems like an easy enough exercise, but if the chairs weren’t positioned correctly, the entire thing would collapse. 

After we constructed our tent, my cousin and I went in and sat down. Being young boys, we probably giggled and talked. We were in our hiding place … safe from the world. Though anyone could have easily discovered us by looking beneath the cover, we didn’t see ourselves as exposed. 

God was the psalmist’s hiding place. Someone he could run to for protection when his enemies were fast upon his heels. Someone who comforted him when it appeared others had turned against him. 

I’ve experienced other-than-honorable conditions in which I tried to hide from God. Mainly when I intentionally sinned or engaged in other shameful behavior. Rather than confessing, I tried to hide as Adam and Eve did. Hiding didn’t work for them, and it didn’t for me either. God’s convicting Spirit worried me until I made things right with God. 

God would rather we hide in him for more honorable reasons. When life—or others—has frustrated, disappointed, betrayed, or angered us, we can hide in him for comfort. 

We can hide in God’s love. It’s unconditional. Nothing we do or say can make him love us more or less. He loves us consistently—though this doesn’t relieve us of the need to live according to his standards. 

We can hide in God’s power. Nothing life throws at us is more powerful than God. Lions, bears, and an angry king were not more powerful than the psalmist’s God, and life’s present enemies aren’t more powerful than God’s power to deliver us. 

We can also hide in God’s salvation—not from life’s trials and tribulations, but from sin’s power. Through the forgiveness offered by Christ, we can enjoy the assurance of God’s forgiveness and acceptance. No more do we dwell under condemnation. 

Let God teach you to hide in him—not from him or in anything else. 

Father, thank you for the comfort of hiding in you for salvation and from life’s trials. 

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Hiding from God - Martin Wiles

Destruction is certain for those who try to hide their plans from the Lord, who try to keep him in the dark concerning what they do! Isaiah 29:15 NLT

The four deer thought the landscape hid them, but they stood in plain view.

Around 11 am, my wife and I started on a hiking trail in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. We quietly talked about various matters and enjoyed the beauty of nature as we watched evidence of spring appear all around us. As I glanced up the mountainside, a doe appeared. Then we noticed several yearlings with her. The little family strolled along, nibbling on greenery, obviously thinking the foliage concealed them.

 

Just as the deer imagined the bare trees concealed them, so many in Isaiah’s day thought they could get through life by making their own plans and ignoring God.

 

Adam and Eve started this failed attempt to hide from God when they disobeyed God’s instructions about not eating from a particular tree. When they realized the consequences of their disobedience, they tried to hide. God found them. Then they played the blame game. Adam blamed Eve who in turn blamed the serpent.

 

Since God is everywhere at once, our attempts to hide from him because we’ve sinned—or to hide our plans from him because we don’t want His input—are useless. God sees all things at once, us included. But a more important question is why we would want to hide ourselves or our plans from him in the first place.

 

As with Adam and Eve, sin is the normal reason for our attempts at hiding. Adam and Eve played the denial game, then the making excuses game, and finally the blame game. None of their games worked then, and they don’t now. I’ve tried them all.

 

When we sin or stray from God, hiding isn’t the answer. God isn’t mean, nor does he sit in heaven waiting for us to mess up so he can get joy out of punishing us. He loves with an eternal love and wants to be involved in our lives so we can experience a level of living that can only be known with him as our guide. Coming out into the open with the details of our lives might be frightening—after all, it’s a faith thing—but doing so is the only way to live life as he planned.

 

Instead of camouflaging yourself from God, come out into the open and let him have full control of your life.

Father, when I try to hide my sin or plans from you, pull me into the open through confession and trust.

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When God Hides - Martin Wiles

Hiding is a normal part of life.

I am familiar with hiding. Apart from the regular game of hide-n-seek, my cousin and I often invented other hiding games. We invented imaginary giants to hide from in my grandfather’s barns. If we chose to play cowboys and Indians, one of us would hide.

The hog pens also provided ample opportunity for hiding. Amidst the mud lay areas of broom straw taller than us. We enjoyed aggravating the hogs. After doing so—since we knew our grandmother would soon appear and scold us—we ducked between the straw.

Hiding began when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and thought they could hide their sin. And it’s been happening since then because we’re born with a sinful bent that leads us to disobedience. When we disobey, we attempt the same thing as our first parents.

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8 NIV).

Jesus once hid from two of his followers who were walking the Emmaus Road.

“But they didn’t know who he was, because God kept them from recognizing him” (Luke 24:16 NLT).

They saw him, but they didn’t recognize him. Jesus feigned ignorance about what had happened to him, so the two informed him about the death and reported resurrection. As he ate with them, their eyes were opened. They recognized who he was.

God has created in us the ability to know right from wrong. Although we do wrong from an early age, we reach a point when we recognize wrong. After that, our failure to admit the wrong makes us want to hide like our first parents.

God can also hide from us—perhaps to stretch our faith. He’s there, but he makes his presence less prominent. He wants us to stretch for Him, to realize our need for him, and to let our faith deepen.

When God hides, he tests our resolve. His apparent absence makes us consider the seriousness of our love and service for him and our sincerity about whatever task we undertake.

Times of absence may also signal that God is busy preparing circumstances—or even us—for something different or better. God hid from Moses while he lived on the back side of the desert tending sheep, from Elijah while he hid in a cave, and from Joseph while Joseph languished in a foreign country.

But God never truly hides; it only seems that way. In those times, we need to pause, trust, pray, and ask what he’s up to.

Father, in times when it appears You have left me, guide me to seek You more than ever so I can discover what You’re up to. 

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Hiding Behind Fig Leaves - Martin Wiles

So they strung fig leaves together around their hips to cover themselves. Genesis 3:7 NLT

Young children can hide in the craziest places.

“Levi, do you want to play Hide-n-Seek with Pop?”

“Okay.”

“You hide, and Pop will find you.”

 I sat in my recliner. He scampered off for the kitchen.

“Ready or not, here I come,” I call as I head to where I know he is.

I find him standing in the middle of the kitchen floor with only his hands over his eyes. In his young mind, he thought that action would keep me from seeing him.

Seems silly, but we adults don’t do much of a better job trying to hide from God. God placed Adam and Eve in a pristine environment with everything they could ever want at their fingertips. But they weren’t satisfied. Fruit from the one tree God said was off-limits lured them. A slithering serpent (Satan) provided the enticement, but they still had the power to say “No.”

After they had done the deed, they experienced an emotion they’d never felt before: shame. They had violated God’s express command and attempted to cover the guilt by sewing together fig leaves. But, they soon discovered leaves couldn’t keep God from seeing them any more than my grandson’s hands could keep me from observing him.

Fast forward a few thousand years, and we find religious leaders attempting to cover their guilt too . . . but with different things. They tried to hide behind a façade of good works. Jesus told them they were just white-washed tombs full of dead bones. He could see beneath their outside.

I’ve sewn a few sets of fig leaves myself. They may have consisted of good works, community organizations, beneficial relationships, or positions in my local church.

Yet, none of the above—or anything else—can erase feelings of guilt. There are just not enough fig leaves. True guilt comes when God’s commands are violated or we have ignored him. Christ has paid for whatever we’ve done, and confession—not fig leaves—will alleviate the guilt. We can’t work to repay what we couldn’t buy in the first place, nor can we ever be good enough to place God under obligation to us. All He requires is heartfelt sorrow.

Come up with a plan of action for when you feel guilt.

Father, I give my guilt to you. I realize only the blood of Christ can cover it. 

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Hide and Seek - Karen Huffaker

You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 CSB

Children love to play Hide and Seek.

They run and giggle as they hide from each other. Big kids compete to find various hidden items on scavenger hunts for hours of entertainment. Their teams search around town with maps and clues, seeking pre-hidden items. The first team to complete following the directions and gathering treasures is declared the winner.

Sometimes, we feel as if God hides from us, and searching for Him is no fun at all. It’s almost always a serious matter. We desperately seek Him for help, guidance, or answers. We wait anxiously for Him to appear, fix our problems, or perform miracles. We want Him to restore impossible situations, provide for our needs, heal someone physically, mentally, or emotionally, or mend broken things and hearts.

While facing many troubles, David asked God not to hide from his pleading. The king was fearful and overwhelmed and sought the Lord to sustain him.

God never hides from us because He is already with us. The search is over. He promises we will find Him when we search for Him with all our hearts.

I find great comfort and peace in God’s promise. Since He is with me, He already knows my burdens and concerns. I can hand them off to the Lord to resolve rather than try alone.

When I place my burdens in God’s capable hands, my trust in Him increases, and I am helped. God’s answers make sense. The way He works out all things for good always amazes me. God’s will is for the best because of His great love for me. I find the rest and peace I long for rather than anxiety. I am declared the winner.

Rather than searching, how can you realize God is already with you?

Tweetable: Do you feel as if you must search for God? 

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Walk-on Wednesday - Playing Hide-n-Seek with God - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Walk-on Wednesday. By Hump Day, we are struggling, but we believe a good devotion can strengthen us to finish the week strong. 

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. Hebrews 4:13 NLT

One, two, three…twenty. Ready or not, here I come.

Hide n Seek is one of those children’s games that remains popular despite technological advances. I played it when I was a child in the 1960s, and sixty years later, children still enjoy it.

What makes it so tantalizing is puzzling. Perhaps it’s the adrenaline rush that comes from hiding in some concealed place while at the same time not being able to see the person searching for you. Or the surprise and fright that comes with being suddenly discovered when you didn’t know you were about to be.

The above verse hadn’t been written when Adam and Eve were created and fell into sin. Had it been, they could have saved themselves some trouble by trying to hide physically from God and by trying to cover their awareness of sin. Elijah tried hiding in a cave, Gideon in a winepress, and Jonah in the belly of a great fish.

Anytime I willfully sin and don’t confess it, I attempt to hide from God…in the darkness…where I think no one sees. My actions are illogical and foolish since God sees all—actions that occur in the darkness and the light. The irrational nature of sin leads me to such stupidity. How foolish to think the creature can hide from the Creator. Others are the only ones I can hide my sin from, and even this is touchy since my sins normally involve others.

Satan rules the kingdom of darkness. By sinning, I’m hiding in his territory, which is all about underhanded, ungodly, and selfish acts. Darkness doesn’t like the light just as the one found doesn’t enjoy having the flashlight shone on them. It means they’ve been discovered.

The good news is that God still loves me even when I occasionally try to hide in the darkness. Despite my many attempts to conceal my sin from him, he still invites me to confess and be found.

Are there ways in which you are trying to hide from God?

Prayer: Father God, thank You for seeking us when we try to hide from Your light and truth. 

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My Secret Life - Martin Wiles

For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all. Luke 8:17 NLT

Dad preached and I hated it.

I didn’t actually hate Dad’s preaching, but what it did to our family. He called it “living in a glass house.” Dad explained this meant we had to be different … to watch our behavior because others always watched us.

This “glass house” didn’t interest me and seemed unrealistic. So at fourteen, I began experimenting with drugs and alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and hanging out with bad boys. But I didn’t tell anyone. When I attended church, I acted like the person the members expected me to be. I didn’t want to get Dad in trouble.

Living a double life was tough. Just as Jesus said, my secrets came to light—not to anyone else, but to me. Jesus puts His Spirit in those who belong to Him, and His Spirit aggravated me day and night. The things I was doing weren’t right, I knew they weren’t right, and God’s Spirit kept telling me they weren’t right. Eventually, I confessed my sins to God and stopped living a secret life.

We can’t hide stuff from God, whether sins or anything else. He knows us inside and out—and that’s good. He loves us too much to let us keep going down sinful paths or in wrong directions. He brought me back to the right path, and He can do the same for you.

Let who you are on the inside be the person others see.

Tweetable: Are you hiding who you truly are?

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When God Hides - Martin Wiles

He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds. Psalm 18:11 NLT

I knew it was there, but I couldn’t see it.

When a New or Full Moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to the Earth, it is called a Supermoon. This happened recently and was the first occurrence since January 26, 1948. I wanted to see this one—but couldn’t. Several wildfires were raging nearby, and each morning and evening witnessed a thick coat of smoke that veiled the sky, shutting out my ability to see the stars or the Supermoon. Add to that the geography of our neighborhood—tall trees and other nearby townhouses, and my wish to witness this marvel of nature went ungranted.

The psalmist was hounded by enemies, one in particular—a jealous king. But he wasn’t worried. Using picturesque words to describe what was indescribable, he related how God came down to save him. Mounted on an angelic being, God soared on the wings of the wind with storm clouds beneath His feet. But He also shrouded Himself in darkness so His enemy couldn’t see His approach.

God has been known to hide. For 13 years, Joseph must have wondered where He was. Joseph was hated by his jealous brothers, and then sold by them to a band of traders who took him to Egypt and sold him again. Falsely accused of trying to rape the king’s wife, Joseph was cast into prison where he was promptly forgotten. For two more years, he languished in squalid conditions until God suddenly turned his situation around and promoted him to prime minister of Egypt.

Just because I don’t see the hand of God in my situation doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Jesus promised never to leave or forsake His children—and He doesn’t. He is working behind the scenes, orchestrating the events of my life, thwarting the schemes of the enemy, and manufacturing good for me. My duty is simply to trust in His sovereignty, His unconditional love, and His power.

When God hides I must wait for Him to show Himself. Biblical waiting is not inactivity. I continue to do to the last thing He told me to do until He opens another door and provides clear guidance for a change of direction.

God may appear to be hidden, but He is never absent from the details of your life. Trust in that promise daily.

Prayer: Father, we thank You for always being near, whether we can perceive You or not. 

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The Hiding Place - Martin Wiles

For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Psalm 32:7 NLT

One sheet and four kitchen chairs made a perfect hiding place.

Lovey was my maternal grandmother’s half-sister. My memories of her are fading, but I do recall she played with me and my cousin. One of our favorite things was to make a tent. This we did by taking a sheet and spreading it over four kitchen chairs. Seems like an easy enough exercise, but if the chairs weren’t positioned correctly, the entire thing would collapse.

After our tent was constructed, my cousin and I entered and sat. Being young boys, we probably giggled and talked. We were in our hiding place…safe from the world. Though anyone could have easily discovered us by looking beneath the cover, we didn’t see ourselves as exposed.

God was the psalmist’s hiding place. Someone he could run to for protection when his enemies were fast upon his heels. Someone who comfort him when it appeared others had turned against him.

I’ve experienced other than honorable conditions in which I tried to hide from God. Mainly when I intentionally sinned or involved myself in other shameful behaviors. Rather than confess, I tried to hide like Adam and Eve. Hiding didn’t work for them, and it didn’t for me either. God’s convicting Spirit worried me until I made things right with God.

God would rather me hide in Him for more honorable reasons. I can hide in Him for comfort. When life—or others—have frustrated, disappointed, betrayed, or angered me, I can hide in Him for comfort.

I can hide in God’s love. It’s unconditional. Nothing I do or say can make Him love me more or less. He loves me consistently—although this doesn’t relieve me of living according to His standards.

I can hide in God’s power. Nothing life throws at me is more powerful than He is. Lion, bears, nor an angry king were more powerful than the psalmist’s God, and life’s present enemies aren’t more powerful than God’s power to deliver me.

I can also hide in God’s salvation—not from life’s trials and tribulations, but from sin’s power. Through the forgiveness offered by Christ, I can enjoy the assurance of being forgiven and accepted by God. No more do I dwell under condemnation.

Let God teach you to hide in Him—not from Him or in anything else.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the comfort of hiding in You for salvation and from life’s trials. 

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