Still Playing Hide-and-Seek?

Did you get to join in an Easter egg hunt last weekend? My kids have outgrown egg hunts, but I still play hide-and-seek.

When I was 16 and a new driver, I had very little experience driving on snow. I was “cruising main” in my little hometown when one of my friends waved at me to pull over. I was going down a bit of a hill and as I turned – I slid and my front bumper caught the corner of my friend’s rear bumper, bending it up. I was SO embarrassed!

My friend told me not to worry. His dad was a mechanic, so he said he would take the car to his dad’s shop and have them bend the bumper back into place.

[Side note: if you’re not familiar with any of the following terms, keep reading – this note is for you: Lite-Brite, Atari, rotary phone. Back in the 80’s, high schoolers drove old cars from the 70’s which were made of solid steel, not plastic. Bumpers were an actual piece of metal.]

I was so relieved! And the best part was – I wouldn’t have to tell my dad!

Well, as you might imagine – it didn’t take long for my carefully crafted scheme to fall apart. My friend’s dad called his insurance company, who called my dad’s insurance company, who called my dad. Oh boy…

I won’t go into all the details of the encounter that happened next, but let’s just say it wasn’t pleasant. My dad was so angry that instead of erupting like usual, he looked like a shaken up bottle of soda pop – bubbling on the inside and ready to explode. I could read the disappointment and betrayal on his face like the day’s headlines. I was SO ashamed of myself. And yet, if you can believe it, my first thoughts were of what I should have done differently to cover my tracks better.

Do you ever play hide-and-seek with God? Are there things in your life that you know are wrong, but you think you’ve gotten away with them – or think you are still getting away with them now?

Sometimes we may think we can hide things from others – and sometimes we may even be right. But don’t be fooled about this: there is no hiding from God.

He knows about our browsing history. He knows about that night, that weekend. He knows about the secret stash. He knows about all of the slander and gossip and hatred and jealousy in our hearts – whether it comes out as spoken words or not. He knows about the tax return, the expense report, and the business dealings. He knows about the revenge. He knows about the affair. He knows about the addictive behavior (whether we acknowledge it or not). He knows about the abortion. He knows about the finances we’re withholding from Him. He knows about all of the secret vices and lusts and appetites and “rocks” that we hold onto – everything of this world that we turn to for comfort or relief instead of Him.

He’s been able to know these things since the beginning – since before Adam and Eve tried to hide their nakedness from Him. And He knows today. Hebrews 4:13 says “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

I realize that’s a heavy burden. If you’ve read this far – here’s some good news: the cross wasn’t just for Easter. Jesus lives on for you!

Would you like to start putting that empty tomb into action? Maybe you’re in the mood for a little Spring cleaning and feel like doing a little emptying out of your own? 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Easter traditionally occurs soon after the first day of Spring. Because of what Christ did at Easter, we have new life in Him. If you’ve been playing hide-and-seek with God, I hope during these Spring and Easter seasons you will confess and bury sin with Jesus, and be raised in newness with Him.

For further study:
Proverbs 28:13
Jeremiah 16:17
Psalm 139:1-4, 7
1 John 1:6-9
James 5:16
1 Corinthians 10:13-17
Psalm 32