Hide and Seek

O

ne of my favorite games was hide-and-seek.  Usually, all the kids from the neighborhood would gather in our backyard and we would painstakingly decide who would be "it" first.  This was no small undertaking.  There were specific rules governing this selection and if they weren't followed, a very heated dispute would break out and the game thwarted before it even began.

Our backyard was built for hiding.  We had large trees, a row of hedges between us and the neighbors' yard, a great side yard, and a wonderful woodpile.  The woodpile was my favorite place to hide!  A small ditch separated our yard was separated from the neighbors behind us.      

On the other side of that ditch was a tall row of hedges, perfect for hiding.  However, the rules specifically stated that no one was to cross the ditch and hide there.  I don't know why we had this rule, we just did.  In any event, one night we were playing and guess where I hid?  You guessed it, I crossed the ditch and hid in those hedges. I knew it was against the rules but I did it any way.  It was fun!!

As the others began the search for those still hiding, I watched with great delight.  I knew they would have a hard time finding me.  The longer I watched, however, the more I began to worry that no one would come looking for me.  As I watched through those thick bushes, a terrifying thought filled my mind.  Suppose no one came looking for me!  Suppose they left me all alone!  I heard my friends calling my name, asking me where I was.  They knew I wasn't obeying the rules because they couldn't find me in the backyard. 

Suddenly, I heard someone behind me.  It was a friend from the next block.  He found me and alerted the others of my whereabouts.  The all taunted me because I broke the rules and it was decided I could not play in the next game.

Sadly, the game we played as children is a game that started with the dawn of humanity.  The book of Genesis records the actions of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  After eating from

the tree which God told them to avoid, they hid themselves.  Thus, the first game of hide-and-seek was inaugurated, only, this was no game. 

Genesis 3:9 is the first recorded question God asks, "The Lord God called to Adam, “Where are you?” God came searching for Adam, looking for him, wanting to visit, to relate with him. However, Adam could not answer because he was hiding.  He was afraid to face God because he had broken the rules.

God's question was not one of geography.  He knew exactly where Adam was and he knew where to find him, just like my friend who knew to find me in those hedges.  Instead, this was the question of a broken relationship and a broken heart. 

The day before, God walked in the garden and visited with him.  There was nothing to separate them from each other.  I firmly believe Adam was able to look God in the face because there was nothing to keep him from an open relationship with his maker.  However, after eating the fruit, Adam hid himself.   He could no longer stand in the warm glow of God's love.  Instead, he stood in the cold, lonely shadow of his own sin.  What a tragedy!

Today, we continue to play hide-and-seek with God.  We break the rules and believe he won't know the difference.  Yet, he knows what we do, he knows why we do it, and he knows where we are.  We cannot hide from him.  Although Adam broke the rules, God came looking for him.  He still wanted that close, intimate relationship he intended for Adam to have all along.  Adam, however, was unable to continue the relationship and had to leave the garden.  Breaking the rules has its consequences in life as it does in games.

Wherever you are today, it is my prayer that you will take the time to hear God's voice.  Examine your life.  Is there something keeping you from God's presence?  Is there a barrier between you and him?  Listen!  Do you hear him?  He is walking the garden of your life, calling, "Where are you?"  Won't you answer him today?