HIDING OUT

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Proverbs 15:3a (NASB)

     It was a cool fall day there was a light mist in the air and the sun was starting to set as Tracy headed to the barn to start her evening chores. “Here Bessy,” she called as she opened the big red door on the barn “It's time for your evening milking” When she heard Tracy's voice, Bessy let out a long moo and then a funny sounding sneeze.

     “Wait a minute,” Tracy said sounding a bit alarmed, “Cows don't sneeze like that.” After a few minutes of silence she heard the funny sneeze again. “Who's out here in the barn?” She demanded to know. “Nobody” came a quiet voice that sounded a somewhat familiar. “Is that you Barney?” Tracy called back.

     “You can't see me, You never heard me, and you don't know where I am.” the voice replied. “So it is you.” Tracy answered back, “What are you doing hiding in the hayloft, Barney, you know you have allergies.” “Is Harold with you?” Barney quietly asked in return. “NO!” Tracy answered, “You don't think he would come around here when there's work to be done?”

     “Yeah,” Barney said as he came out of hiding, “I suppose you're right about that. Besides, I can't smell him.” “Smell him?” Tracy said with a quizzical expression. “Yeah,” Barney said as he sniffed the air, “Why do you think I'm hiding from him.” “How would I know.” Tracy answered, Unless,” she paused for a moment, “He didn't!”

     “BINGO” Barney exclaimed. “I thought he wasn't suppose to be chasing skunks anymore.” Tracy chirped in. “He's not.” Barney assured her, “But you know how well he listens.” “Unfortunately, I know all to well.” Tracy said as she nodded in agreement. “So, how bad did he get sprayed this time?”

     “SPRAYED?” Barney exclaimed, “If only he had gotten sprayed.” “What do you mean?” Tracy asked a bit puzzled, “Isn't that what he did?” “He caught one”!” Barney exclaimed, “And he's going all over town trying to show it to everyone he meets.” “No wonder your hiding in the hayloft.” Tracy told Barney, “I think I'd be hiding in the hayloft too if I knew he was trying to show me a skunk.”

     “You won't tell him I'm here, will you?” Barney asked, hoping she'd say no. “My lips are sealed” Tracy assured him, “In fact...” she started to say and then started to sniff the air. “You better move over and make room for me, I smell him coming now.” and up the ladder she flew.

     “Helloooo.” came Harold's voice as they heard the barn door creek open, “Is anybody here?” Although it was hard, Barney kept from sneezing and after about ten minutes, Harold and his skunk left but just to be on the safe side, Tracy and Barney kept hidden for another half hour before Tracy went back to her chores and Barney sneaked home.

     As a parent, I confess that there are times I purposely hide from my kids and if I'm really good, they don't find me and after awhile they give up looking. There are times when all of us hide from someone or at least we desire too. It could be that we're playing, it could be that we want to surprise them or it could be we want nothing to do with them. If someone came around with a live skunk and they smelled even worse, I would probably want to hide like Barney. For the most part, if we are good enough, we can hide – from people but....

     Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.' " But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" And he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"

Genesis 3:1-11 (ESV)

      To sum the story up, God gave Adam and Eve food to eat, lots of food to eat but He also gave them some food they were not to eat. When we think of all the rules, laws, commandments etc that we have to follow, we can see Adam Eve had only a few and one of them was to NOT eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. They ate the fruit, their eyes were opened and they realized they were naked. God came along for a visit and they tried to hide.

     Remember, if we're good enough , we can hide from people but God is not people. O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night," even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you

     Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (NIV) There is no hiding from God.

      Here's Something To Ponder

• How many times have you wished God couldn't see?
• Do you live in such a way that you want things hid from others?