No More "Hide and Seek"; Psalm 139, Proverbs 14

May the mumbling commence!

Now, I have come to the part in my reading of the Wisdom Literature that I get to choose some chapters to return to as I finish out the last eighteen chapters of Proverbs.  Today, I am choosing to spend some time with Psalm 139.  In fact, I will meditate on all sections of the Psalm that I did not on the first time around (verses 1-6).

Today, I choose to focus on the next grouping of verses (7-12).  I admit that when I read this passage I think of Jonah, who tried to run from the Lord.  When Jonah found himself running in the opposite direction in which the Lord called him, Jonah ended up in the belly of a big fish.  If the words of this passage weren’t being formed in his head, Jonah at the very least would say a hearty “AMEN” to the thoughts behind these words. 

These words echo Jonah’s experience of God.  There is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide from the Lord.  Read the passage below:

Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence? 

If I ascend into heaven,

You are there;

If I make my bed in hell, behold,

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 fall on me,"

Even the night shall be light about me; 

Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,

But the night shines as the day;

The darkness and the light are both alike to You. (139:7-12)

While we may be able to hide ourselves from other people and even from ourselves, we can never hide our true nature from God.  Indeed, who do we think we’re fooling?  To hide from God is futile.  To hide from God is part of the definition of foolishness.

It makes me think of a joke I heard many years ago.  The joke goes something like this:  A boy was returning from a day of Bible School.  The boy always cut through a man’s yard on his way home.  That day, the man saw the boy leaving the church and cutting through his yard.  The man yelled out, “If you can tell me where God is, I’ll give you a nickel!”  The boy answered, “If you can tell me where God is not, I’ll give you a quarter!”

Why do we try to hide from the light of God?  We are fearful of what the light of God will reveal in us.  But, who many times does the Bible implore us to fear not, to not be afraid?  Let us come into the light.  Let us begin to recognize ourselves for who we are.  Let us welcome the changes that will come as the Holy Spirit works on our lives.  And let us rest quietly in the understanding and wisdom that this recognition and change will cause.  Read from Proverbs chapter fourteen:

Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding,

But what is in the heart of fools is made known.  (Verse 33)  

Yes – my God is and lives and does.  That is enough for me.

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out