Hiding from God

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. Ge 3:8 NIV

We are often like Adam and Eve. God wants to go for a walk with you and with me.

He also wants to have a deep friendship with you, but you hide.

We all hide sometimes.

Some hide behind intellectual objections or philosophical systems of thought.

We study theology and want to understand God as a concept, but no longer know him as Father and Friend.

Some hide behind activities in the church.

They want to prove themselves as good Christians and be recognised. But God does not want good Christians, but dear children and friends.   

Some strive for Bible knowledge and hide behind Bible texts.

But Paul said:
Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.
But whoever loves God is known by God. 1 Co 8:2–3 NIV

Jesus also said:
You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,

yet you refuse to come to me to have life. Jn 5:39–40 NIV

Some hide behind virtue and righteousness, but Jesus wants nothing to do with self-righteousness.

Some hide behind humility. They think and perhaps even say: ‘I am nothing, I can do nothing.’

Jesus told us about one such negative person.

“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.

So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
But the Lord condemned the man who only appeared to be humble. Mt 25:24–25 NIV

What is true humility?

Jesus is our role model. He was and remains today the Eternal Son of God, God the Son, God who knows everything and understands everything.

But then he made himself small, weak and vulnerable. The Eternal Son of God became a human baby.

Jesus became like you and me, small, with limited intelligence. He had to grow up and learn step by step, just like us.

But he was totally open to his Heavenly Father. He lived in communion with the Father.
We can learn humility from the Christmas story.

We are all like Adam and Eve, who did not trust God, who did not believe God's word, who did not follow God's instructions.

We are all like Adam and Eve, who were ashamed and tried to hide in God's garden.

But you cannot hide from God. He sees everything and still loves you unconditionally.

He wants to find you in your hiding place, but not to punish you, but to love you and set you free.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Mt 11:28–29 NIV

Have you ever felt the need to meet God in person but felt as if God was trying to hide Himself from you?

Is it possible that God is not hiding Himself, but that you are hiding yourself from Him?

But perhaps sometimes God hides Himself, not so that you will not find Him, but so that you will seek Him and then find Him.