When friends decide to play a game of hide and seek. I want to believe it is fun when all parties are in agreement…what if all parties are not in agreement, then what?

It began at the very beginning, creation, perfect man and woman in a perfect world. Then the lie was planted and the fruit was eaten and oh oh! We are naked and they went into hiding when they heard the Lord walking in the garden. Where are you? He asked his beloved creation and they said we were hiding because we realized we were naked…..that came the end of that world.

We too today are like this man and woman we are always hiding when we fail the mark. The problem with hiding is that we walk away on our own, we turn our back towards him. We too realize we are naked, we will be found out by our sin, so we let the feelings of guilt and shame keep us at bay and instead of walking toward the one who washes away our sin we stay away believing He is mad at us. And when we are hiding we keep falling deeper and deeper into this hole of sin, going through the circle of shame, guilt, acting out, shame, guilt and acting out. Until we come into our senses.

The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 best describe the position of God in the father. The prodigal son demanded his share of inheritance and squandered it all, then he fell into desperation to the point he longed to eat what the pigs ate. But when he was in that low position..what I imagine today is called between a rock and hard…he came to his senses and wondered at how much food his father’s servant had even to spare, and he purposed to go back to his father and ask for forgiveness.

The story says the father spotted him while we was at distance and ran to him. Many of us keep away from God because we assume he is sitting up on his throne with this huge frown and a rod ready to squash us. But in this story we see the truth of God’s position towards us his wayward children…he is on the road waiting, watching, trying to catch a glimpse of us and when he does he runs to us. Can you imagine the Lord most high running towards you in love and embracing you? Can you imagine God singing over you? Consider the verse below…

The Lord your God in your midst, the mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

The son even after admitting his sin and quitting his position of sonship we see the loving Father asking that he be put on a robe (this symbolizing righteousness) put on him a ring (reinstatiting his identity of a son) and put sandals on his feet (change of status from poor, slave to provided and position of authority).

Why, therefore do we keep hiding when God longs for us to come back to him?

• Could it because we have not known him, we think he will treat us as we treat ourselves?
• Could it because we do not know compassion and grace and love, we think his love is as conditional as ours?
• Could it because we believe like this prodigal son we are no longer worthy to be called his son, we only worthy to be treated as servants?

Holy Spirit teach me to know who God is and who I am in him. Today may the truth of his love overcome my fears and lies, may I know I am forgiven, clothed in righteousness, have the identity of sonship and my status is no longer of a servant but of a member of his family. May I recognize the truth of how joyful it is in heaven when I as a sinner repent and come home to a loving father. In Jesus name I pray  and receive his forgiveness.