A prayer that begins to hide from God
Kyle Norman
Bible Reading:
“You are my hideout, and you will protect me from trouble, you will surround me with a song of salvation.” – Psalm 32:7
Read or listen to the following:
The Bible is usually filled with countless stories of people wandering from God, as they thought freedom was found elsewhere. Adam and Eve are great examples. They both succumbed to the devil’s lies and told them that their true lives were separate from God. If they just ate forbidden fruit, what they wanted will come in a hurry to their lives. And they eat.
Of course, they find only the hope and joy they thought they were pursuing. Shame and guilt crash. And when they hear God walking through the garden in the coolness of the day, they hide among the trees so that they will not be seen by the God they reject.
When you are overwhelmed by sin, it is easy to feel that you have to hide from God. I think we need to be far away. When God approaches, He will visit us with vengeance and anger, right? After all, what we have done and the sin that clings to us, why does God offer anything else?
After all, have you ever thought that after all the time you did, or ignored, or all the time you spent, you will never be accepted by the God who made you? So many people feel that God is not for them, so they hide from Him. It can be an isolated experience. It may be an experience where we believe ourselves to be abandoned and unloved. When we hide from God, we not only suffer from the guilt of sin, but we also feel desperately alone. This is not the life God wants for us. This is not the life God wants for you.
But what might it look like instead of hiding from God? Poem sal32 is a poem sal in which David wrestles with his sins. As long as he has managed it himself, and attempts to cover it, and clean it under the proverb rug, he explains how his sin defeats his strength (Ps. sal 32:4). But when he pleads his sin before God, a change occurs in David. And it is not God’s wrath, anger, dismissal, forgiveness, or love that rushes to his life.
When we allow ourselves to be covered in God’s love and to make God’s love a definitive marker of our lives, we no longer feel the need to hide from God. David explains how we hide from God. David writes, “You are my hideout, and you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of salvation.” Hiding is a journey into God’s heart, a heart full of compassion, joy, protection and love. Hiding in God means we dare to accept God’s loving acceptance in our lives. When we hide from God, we assure us of His joy. God surrounds us with grace. This means that a part of our lives cannot be touched by God’s mercy.
So here is the question we can ask ourselves: Do you want to hide from God or do you want to hide from God? Do you want to hide your desire for forgiveness by pushing them under the rug of your own work, or do you want them to be covered in the graceful arms of Jesus? Please return and accept God’s love that is offered to you.
Let’s pray:
Thank you for your love for my life, Jesus. Thank you for coming to me and becoming a savior. You are there, even when I reject you, and when I try to hide from your presence. And you expand the invitation so that I come to you. In your love, you invite me to experience grace and the fulfillment of your love. Lord, I will look to you this day in an act of confession. I confess to you that I don’t love you because I should have loved you. I don’t love other people like myself. I sinned with words and actions and thoughts. But in an act of repentance I turn to you again and I open my life to you. O Graceful Lord, hide me. May your God’s presence envelop me today. Hide me from the seduction I face. Evacuate me from the attacks of evil people. Ensure me with your loving care. I pray all these things in the name of my Lord, Jesus. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Ismael Paramo
Pastor Kyle Norman is the president of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Kamloops, Canada. He holds a PhD in Spiritual Formation and is a popular author, speaker and retreat leader. His writings can be found at Christianity.com, Crosswalk.com, Ibelieve.com, Renovare Canada and more. He also maintains his own blog revkylenorman.ca. He has 20 years of idyllic experience and his ministry focuses on helping people overcome times of mental disappointment.
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