Do you notice how every time you have an appointment with your dentist you spend extra time on your teeth? I'm sure you brush your teeth daily, but during this time you may even brush more than once before your appointment to conceal any evidence of the candy you devoured the night before, or since the last visit some years ago. You figure if you brush and floss a few times, they won't even notice, right?
What you don't realize, however, is that no matter how many times you brush and floss before you made it to that dental chair; it wouldn't make a difference. They're dentists. They are experts in this field. As soon as the dentist takes X-rays of your teeth you are soon exposed. He can see what is truly going on inside: tooth decay, stains, gum disease, and more.
It's the same with God. Sometimes we try to hide the decay in our hearts with good works. We may be harboring unforgiveness, anger, or bitterness towards someone, but we feed and love on the homeless all week long. Maybe, you're a husband who attends church twice a week, serves in ministry, and works hard to provide for your family; however, what no one knows is that you struggle with pornography. But, you hide it well, right? Wrong!
God is omnipresent.
He sees everything. There is nothing that you can hide from Him. God is everywhere, all the time. This is good news to those who know and love God, because no matter what we do or where we go, we can never be far from God’s comforting presence. The bad news is that if we do not follow God, He knows that also. Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”
How is it that God knows so much about us? Remember what the Bible tells us? God is always with us. One reason God knows us so intimately is because He is with us continually. The first six verses in Psalm 139 answer the question; "How well does God know me?" Verses 7-12 answer the question; "How near is God to me?"
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
—Psalm 139:1-12
I once read an article about an atheist who was lecturing at a university. He wrote on the chalkboard; "God is nowhere." After his lecture, a Christian student went to the board and separated the letters "W" and "H" of "nowhere" leaving the statement: "God is now here."
God not only knows us intimately, but He is with us all the time.
This is one of the reasons that it is futile to run from God when we have problems with sin or with life in general. God is with us so He already knows. No amount of make-up or pretty clothes can hide a decaying, diseased heart from God, because nothing can separate you from God or the love of God. Romans 8:39 says, “nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
No matter where we go –God is there. Jonah found out that you can run but you cannot hide from God.
How many times do we try to run away from God when He is seeking us?
No matter what may be going on in your life today, stop running from Christ. Stop trying to hide from Him. Instead, run towards Him and fall at His feet. Don't continue to just clean and brush the surface, while in the inside you are spiritually dying. God loves you. He wants to give you a new heart—a clean and pure heart from the inside out.
Maybe you're in a difficult situation right now, and have suffered some kind of loss, been afflicted with illness or pain. Maybe the wound is still tender. Perhaps, it’s too early to know why it’s happening. Maybe, you may never know this side of eternity. But believe David: God has not left you. He’ll never walk away from you. You’ll never find yourself in a situation where God is not right there alongside of you to strengthen, help, and encourage you.
How many years of your life have you spent trying to run or hide from God? I want to challenge you today to give up the fight. Stop trying to hide and allow yourself to enjoy the love He wants you to enjoy.
