The hide and seek game begins early for most children. Whether a simple game of peek-a-boo or hiding just out of sight, the squeals of delight of finding someone or being found can’t be contained by a child.
I remember reading the book “Runaway Bunny” by Margaret Wise Brown to my daughter when she was young. The bunny in the story kept threatening his mother that he was going to escape and run away. This was more than just hiding, this bunny wanted to run away. However, he still wondered if the mother would seek him out. With great patience, she takes time to explain the lengths she would go to find her baby. There is a line in the book that reads, “If you run away, I will run after you.” What a comfort for this little one to hear that no matter how he tried to escape or run and hide his mother would seek him out.
We adults have our own runaway story. It’s found in Psalm 139.
Is there any place I can go to avoid your Spirit
To be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you’re there!
If I go underground, you’re there!
If I flew on morning’s wings
To the far western horizon,
You’d find me in a minute –
You’re already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
At night I’m immersed in the light!”
It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you;
Night and day, darkness and light, they’re all
the same to you.
Psalms 139:7-12 (The Message)
Sometimes as adults we can unknowingly fall into the game of hide and seek. We want to hide from the Lord, but our hearts yearn to be found. What a wonderful reminder that we cannot go anywhere that the Spirit of God can’t find us. Actually, as the Psalmist writes . . . He is ALREADY there!