Have you ever been reading the Bible, some text that you've read many times before, and suddenly it opens up to you in a completely different way? This often happens when you start reading carefully, studying the Scriptures, paying attention to specific words and historical context. Sometimes the Holy Spirit simply opens up the real meaning of the verses to you.
This week I have been rereading psalm 139 (one of my favorites, by the way) and habitually skimmed through the following verses:
"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!" (Ps. 139:7-8)
Subconsciously I always thought that this abstract has a negative connotation. Maybe you see it in a different way but I usually imagined the author trying to escape God's attention. But wherever he tried to go, wherever he tried to hide (in heaven, in hell, or at the end of the earth), God could see him everywhere. There is no chance to keep a secret from Him!
God's Hand
But only recently I noticed what is written further:
"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." (Ps. 139:9-10).
Suddenly it dawned on me: David doesn't say "even there your hand shall reach me and your right hand shall punish me" as I always thought. He says lead and hold.
Which means, wherever we are, wherever we happened to be on own life journey - even in the darkest place - we can count on God's closeness and support!
Lead and Hold
"Shall lead" - means to guide. Wherever we end up going, God can not only help us not to lose our way, but will also lead us out of the most difficult circumstances. He will lead us through blessings helping us avoid the temptations of pride and arrogance, and will guide our steps through the fire keeping us safe and sound.
"Shall hold" can have many meanings in this context. First, the obvious one - He will hold us from sin, from failure, from bad desisions. Second, the original one - "to take over". Whatever circumstances you're going through, if you surrender your life to Jesus, He will take it all under His control and will be the King of your heart.
I found two more meanings of the original word used here. One of them is "to cover". As a perfectionist, I'm very encouraged by the thought that God's grace covers my shortcomings. He is enough! The other one is "to attach". The human need of belonging can be satisfied when God will join us in His plan and His family.
Free to Choose
Turned out that God's omnipresence and omnipotence is not a threat for us but a gift or a priviledge. Apostle Paul in his letter to Romans wrote that there is not power or person that could separate us from God's love (Rom. 8:38-39). No circumstances or characteristics can make us unworthy of His forgiveness.
However God will not chase us to the bottom of the earth if we're trying to run away from Him. He doesn't make anyone have relationships with Him or belong to Him. If you don't want to be "attached", He will respect your desision.
The same way He will answer every time you call His name. When you show how much you need Him, when you sincerely repent, when you thirst for Him with all your heart. Then His hand will guide you, hold you, cover you, and capture you in His grace!
Why Are You Hiding?
When I told my thought to my husband he reminded me that some people do try to flee and hide from God because they have a reason for that. And this reason is sin!
No one wants to face the "all-seeing eye" when they do something that this eye would not approve of. No one wants their parents to walk in on them watching wrong movies, their pastor to join their date where you get rid of all the boundaries, or their friend to hear the rumors they spread about them. The person that breaks God's law dreams of a place where God wouldn't see that.
Dear friend, if you're trying to hide from God in your life, think if He's the one who captured your heart (or was it someone else?) If you know your heart is in the right place, don't look at your circumstances, look at Jesus! There's no abyss where He couldn't reach you with His loving hand.
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