It appears that humans have been trying to avoid getting too close to God from the very beginning. Sometimes they knew they had done something incredibly wrong. Sometimes, they didn’t like the assignment God gave them. In the case of Adam and Eve, hiding from God was a new experience. After all, they had the most personal relationship with God a human can have. They listened to His voice and talked to Him daily and yet, even they were led astray. Jonah didn’t like the idea of saving the wicked people of Nineveh, so he got on a boat going the opposite direction. He was sure that would save him. Of course, three days in a fish’s belly cured him of that notion. He went on to do his assignment.
Elijah was one of the greatest prophets of all time and yet, he too, fell into fear and hid after his victorious encounter with the prophets of Baal. Feeling afraid that he was one of the only prophets of the living God left, he decided to hide. God called him out of the cave and let him know he was not alone.
Fear is what drives most of us into hiding, or at least it creates the desire to hide. We either fear that we’ve disappointed God beyond measure, and forgiveness may not be possible, or we fear those who threaten our livelihood and our options. We fear that what we’ve done or what could be done to us is simply too big for God, or too hard for God to handle. It is absolutely true that our actions have consequences, and it is also true that difficulties may prevail, but that’s not the end of the story. Today’s circumstance is simply part of the greater story; it’s not the whole story. That means that even when we make a mess of things, we can count on God helping us find a new step, an opportunity that we would surely have missed.
Adam and Eve had to leave the garden, but God still fed and clothed them. He still made sure they were cared for. Jonah ultimately did what God asked him to do, even though he didn’t like it, but Jonah’s story did not end there. Peter wanted to hide after he denied Jesus three times, because he regretted his actions. Jesus didn’t let the story end there. Peter went on to do amazing work for the people of his time, work that still calls us to the foot of the cross.
When we have regrets, or when we wonder if we can be forgiven, the answer does not lie in running as far from God as we can. The truth is that God always knows where you are. So, what you can do, instead, is run toward the One who loves you, who embraces you as a prodigal child, and who is the only one who can truly forgive you. When you do, you’ll know you’re in good hands and that God will never stop loving you. When you stand in His light, everything will feel better.