How Do You Hide from God?

Have you ever felt like hiding from God?

There are three common ways to attempt to hide from God and I think that, at one time or another, each of us had tried one of these. After having done something wrong, our conscience convicts us: “Guilty!” Our shame makes us want to avoid God, to hide from Him.

Adam and Eve: Hiding
After Adam and Eve had eaten the forbidden fruit, their eyes were opened. The next thing they did is try to hide their naked bodies with clothing. And then, when they heard the sound of God in the Garden of Eden…

“...the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” 

—Genesis 3:8

They literally hid, but It didn’t work.

Jonah: Running
God told Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh with a message of divine judgment. Jonah ran the opposite direction from Nineveh. He revealed his reasoning: He knew that God was merciful and he did not want the people of Nineveh (Israel’s enemy) to receive mercy. (Jonah 4:2)

Jonah had not sinned like Adam and Eve. He was not running in shame. He was trying to avoid God’s instruction. Stated more emphatically, Jonah attempted to hide from God through disobedience to God’s instruction! That too, did not work.

David: Denying
King David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and then ordered the death of her husband to cover up their sin due to her pregnancy. David continued for months without addressing his sin. He was hiding from God by denying his sin and guilt through silence.

David explained how his attempt at hiding worked out…

When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.

—Psalm 32:3-4

We can attempt to hide from God in silence, like David. We can attempt to hide from God in disobedience, like Jonah. We can even attempt to hide among the trees, like Adam and Eve. In the latter case, we may attempt to hide by avoiding fellow Christians when we feel shame. Being around anyone living the Christian life makes us feel even more guilty.

Another way of hiding among the trees is by managing conversations so that no one ever gets close to finding out our guilt.

How do you hide from God? 

You can’t.

We must understand that God knows that sin separates us from Him, and yet, He loves to forgive. He doesn’t want us to hide from Him when we sin, but rather, race to Him confessing our sins. With open arms He is eager to forgive.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness.

—1 John 1:9

If we refuse to confess our sins, we are fooling ourselves in a futile attempt at hiding. Yet, when we confess our sins, we are running to God assuring Him that we agree about sin, that sin is hideous and that we desire purity.

Have you been hiding?

Do you need to confess sin?
Confess to God in prayer! 

Run to God...Now!

Mark Stinnett

December 10, 2023

Living the Beatitudes

Their jaws dropped. Never had the Jews heard teaching like that of Jesus. It was not just the content of His teaching, but the way He spoke. The gospel writers tell us that Jesus spoke with authority, not like the scribes (Jewish teachers).

The beatitudes found in Matthew 5 differ from those found in Luke 6. That suggests that Jesus used beatitudes in His teaching on multiple occasions. The Greek word for beatitude was originally used in reference to the Greek gods. It described a state of other-worldly bliss, having a carefree and joyful existence free from work, hardship and anxiety. Later on beatitudes were used to describe great men after their death, still later, in reference to those whose existence in this life was, in one way or another, like the life of the gods.

So, a beatitude might be applied to the wealthy: Blissful are the wealthy for they are free from life’s troubles. Not all beatitudes had an extended explanation like those of Jesus: Blissful are parents who have good children. Beatitudes were spoken in praise of a person because of something truly wonderful in his/her life.

Jesus flipped the beatitudes upside down and that absolutely stunned His listeners. Of course, it was with good reason. His beatitudes were true, unlike the beatitudes of His day.

Until Jesus, beatitudes generally came from a purely human point of view. Even the earliest beatitudes were based on a human perception of the Greek gods. By extension people believed that human life would be full of bliss if only…

• If only, I had great wealth;
• If only, I had a position of power;
• If only, I was full of wisdom;
• If only, I had the perfect wife;
• If only, I had many children;
• If only, I had a superior education;
• If only, I had fame;
• If only, I possessed something great;

If only….

Jesus’ beatitudes exalt the poor, those who mourn for the lost, the gentle, those hungering and thirsting for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those persecuted for righteousness. His beatitudes left His listeners stunned and speechless.

Jesus was not being sarcastic: “Blissful are the merciful. Duh! Everybody knows it is blissful are those who show no mercy, but demand justice.” Jesus was not being humorous: “Blissful are the peacemakers. Ha, ha! Pax Romana!”

The beatitudes of Jesus expose reality. All of the beatitudes that exalt greatness, wealth, power, luxuriant living, etc. expose human desire. The most ancient beatitudes expressed what men believed about their gods. Jesus expressed what was true of God. Read the beatitudes in Matthew 5 and Luke 6. Which one does not describe Jesus?

The beatitudes crush human valuations by promoting the values and character of God. The beatitudes remind us that our world is broken and this life is not true life. The beatitudes are about hope, our expectation of eternal life.

The beatitudes of Jesus conflict with the values of man. They sound humiliating, almost shameful. Yet, the beatitudes are about Jesus...

The author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

—Hebrews 12:2

Joy is set before us if we will despise the presumed shame of the beatitudes.

Mark Stinnett

February 20, 2022

When I "Looked" Like a Child

Parents often act as referees (judges) for their children. 

“Mommy, Billy hit me!” (Four-year-old sister.)

Wisely, Mom finds Billy to hear his side of the story. Sure enough, Billy hit his sister, but she kicked him first, because he took a toy from her, because she screamed in his ear. (You get the picture. Neither one was really innocent.)

With children, the vocal one is often the one who started the problem. When they tattle on the other child, their own fault is often revealed.

Solomon advised:

     Do not go out hastily to argue your case; 

     Otherwise, what will you do in the end, 

     When your neighbor puts you to shame?

                                                 --Proverbs 25:8

Have you ever approached a friend and (with a cloudy disposition) immediately began telling him/her how you were mistreated by a co-worker or boss or friend? You expected your friend to listen and accept every word, side with you, and then verbally acknowledge the injustice you had experienced. You expected them to 'cloud up' with you.

So, what happens when the other person tells ‘their side of the story’? Do you still appear to  have been so mistreated, so innocent?

Solomon continues his advice in the next two verses:

     Argue your case with your neighbor, 

        And do not reveal the secret of another,

     Lest he who hears it reproach you, 

        And the evil report about you not pass away.

The simple lesson is to apply self control. It is true that life is full of injustices, but sometimes we are not completely innocent.

Sometimes “I” am the cause of the problem...
Sometimes “I” misspeak...
Sometimes "I" do something questionable...
Sometimes "I" forget something...
     ...and "I" start the chain reaction of injustices.

Before jumping to conclusions and ‘arguing your case’ with others, go to the person involved and try to work it out. Otherwise the truth of the situation might be revealed to your friends and you might be partly to blame! 

Shame!

A little self-restraint along with a measure of wisdom might keep you from looking like a four-year-old child.