Hiding Places

Obadiah 1:3 - You have been deceived by your own pride because you live in a rock fortress and make your home high in the mountains.  'Who can ever reach us way up here?' you ask boastfully.

God was angry at Edom because of their treatment of His people.  They had been celebrating the misfortunes of Israel and Judah.  They believed they were safe from everything, including God's anger and judgment, because they were nestled in the rock cliffs of a canyon.  But no one can hide from God.

How common is it for us to have our own sort of hiding place?  We have our man caves or getaway vacation spots that no one knows about, and we think we're safe when we're there.  We believe that we can do whatever we want because no one will find out about it.  As the slogan for Las Vegas commercials says, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."  Do we really believe that God isn't in Sin City?

God doesn't expect us to be perfect, but He expects to be honest with Him.  He knows when we sin, and all He really expects is for us to confess our sin, repent, and try not to continually do it.  We can't hide our sin in some rock cliff buried in a canyon.  But we can turn our sin over to our Rock who promises refuge and safety (Psalm 91:1-2) from those who would celebrate our shortcomings, and those who seek to exploit them as an example of the hypocrisy of Christians.

Am I trying in vain to hide my sins from God, or am I resting in the shadow of the Almighty, my Rock and Redeemer?  Sometimes, I have to remind myself that nothing I do is too great for Him to forgive.  I just have to remember to take it to Him.

Dear Father, thank You for removing the hiding places in my life, one by one.  I know that I am a work in progress, but I know You are faithful to forgive and forget when I seek You in confession and repentance.  I pray for those that are trying to hide from You.  My prayer is that Your Holy Spirit will stir their hearts to see that hiding their sins from You is futile, and the only way to truly heal and feel better is through confession and repentance.  May they turn to the true Rock and Refuge of Safety - You.  In Jesus' name, Amen!



God Bless!!!