When God Hides but Really Doesn’t

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When God hides

I am familiar with hiding. Yet, when God hides but really doesn’t, I sometimes get confused.

Apart from the regular game of hide-n-seek, my cousin and I often invented other hiding games. We invented imaginary giants to hide from in my grandfather’s barns. If we chose to play cowboys and Indians, one of us would hide.

The hog pens also provided ample opportunity for hiding. Amidst the mud lay areas of broom straw taller than us. We enjoyed aggravating the hogs. After doing so—since we knew our grandmother would soon appear and scold us—we ducked between the broom straw.

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

~Genesis 3:8 NIV

Hiding began long ago when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and thought they could hide their sin. And it’s been happening since then because we’re born with a sinful bent that leads us to disobedience. When we disobey, we attempt the same thing as our first parents.

God has created in us the ability to know right from wrong. Although we do wrong from an early age, we reach a point when we recognize wrong. After that, our failure to admit the wrong makes us want to hide like our first parents. But it’s not a game.

Even more confusing is when God appears to hide from us—perhaps to stretch our faith. He’s there, but He makes His presence less prominent. He wants us to stretch for Him, realize our need for Him, and deepen our faith.

When God hides, He tests our resolve. His apparent absence makes us consider the seriousness of our love and service for Him and our sincerity about whatever task we undertake.

Times of absence may also signal that God is busy preparing circumstances—or even us—for something different or better. God hid from Moses while he lived on the back side of the desert tending sheep, from Elijah while he hid in a cave, and from Joseph while Joseph languished in a foreign country.

But God never truly hides; it only seems that way. In those times when we think He has, we only need to pause, trust, pray, and ask what He’s up to.

 

Martin Wiles

Martin Wiles lives in Greenwood, SC, and is the founder of Love Lines from God. He is a freelance editor, English teacher, pastor, and author. He serves as Managing Editor for both Christian Devotions and Vinewords.net and is an instructor for the Christian PEN (professional editor’s network). Wiles is multi-published author. His most recent book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, is available on Amazon. He and his wife are parents of two and grandparents of seven. He can be contacted at [email protected].

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7 comments

  1. Hi Martin,
    This is a beautifully reflective piece on the nature of hiding, both in our childhood games and in our spiritual journeys. It’s fascinating how the concept of hiding from God has deep roots in our history, starting with Adam and Eve. Your insights about God’s perceived absence as a way to strengthen our faith resonate deeply. It’s a comforting reminder that even when we feel distant, He’s preparing us for something greater. Thank you for sharing these thoughts; they truly encourage deeper reflection on our relationship with God.

    Elena, UK

  2. When he was two, my grandson would sit on his bed with a blanket over his head thinking he was hiding from his parents. I suspect that’s what our “hiding” looks like from God’s perspective.

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