No Hiding

“Ah, you who hide deep from the Lord your counsel,
    whose deeds are in the dark,
    and who say, ‘Who sees us? Who knows us?’
You turn things upside down!
Shall the potter be regarded as the clay,
that the thing made should say of its maker,
    ‘He did not make me’;
or the thing formed say of him who formed it,
    ‘He has no understanding’?

Is it not yet a very little while
    until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field,
    and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest?
In that day the deaf shall hear
    the words of a book,
and out of their gloom and darkness
    the eyes of the blind shall see.
The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord,
    and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.
For the ruthless shall come to nothing
    and the scoffer cease,
    and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off,
who by a word make a man out to be an offender,
    and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate,
    and with an empty plea turn aside him who is in the right.” Isaiah 29:15-21

“Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, 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.” Psalm 139:7-10

The Lord expresses His omniscience in varied ways, uncovering the supposed secrets of the human heart. Throughout the Scriptures, God wants His people to know that man can try to control, but He is the Ruler. Man can plot to deceive, but He discerns motives. Man can attempt to conceal, but He knows all that is hidden and every hiding place. The beautiful thing about God is that He uncovers ugliness with grace and meets darkness with light, flooding His mercy and love into every hidden crevice. (Proverbs 21:30; Hebrews 4:12-13; 1 John 1:6-9)

For many, there are things to hide, and reasons to hide. True feelings, jaded viewpoints, immoral thoughts. Past trauma, regrets, shameful deeds and their consequences. Character weaknesses, temper, bitterness. We can insinuate, suggest, and pretend, but as much as we try, we cannot conceal any of these from the Lord.

The longer we try to hide from Him, the more deeply rooted the lies to ourselves, Him, and others. Concealing in one area spreads the poison of untruth, fear, and false confidence until hearts are calloused and vision is clouded and we do not even know who we are.

Enter the Lord, all-knowing and -loving, to meet fears with promise and insecurities with cleansing and hope. He upends our folly and gives true wisdom, our inner turmoil and stubbornness with fresh freedom and joy. Where do we most need His uncovering? Of what is He convicting that I must confess? With whom and in what situations do I put up barriers to conceal my thoughts or actions? Do we have the courage to come clean, knowing His freedom awaits? The Lord sees, the Lord knows, and the Lord loves His own.

Father, keep me honest and pure before You always.