Playing Hide-n-Seek from God or with God (Psalm 46:1) with a Joe Louis story.

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 46:1 (TM)

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him.

STORY:

Joe Louis was the world heavyweight-boxing champion from 1937 until he retired in 1949. In 1946 Louis prepared to defend his title against a skilled fighter named Billy Conn. Louis was warned to watch out for Conn's great speed and his tactic of darting in to attack and then moving quickly out of his opponent's range. In a famous display of confidence, Louis replied, "He can run, but he can't hide."

OBSERVATION:

Growing up in Miami we played hide-n-seek like nobodies business. We played it all summer long. We played it night and day. We played it in good weather and bad. We played it well into the night. It was fun, exhausting and challenging. Each time we looked for an extra special hiding place where no one could find us.

Donny Hall’s favorite place was a foot from base. He would stand very still and wait for the “it” person to finish counting, crying out “here I come ready or not” and then Donny take tag base. We finally made a rule that he couldn’t do that.

With our grandchildren I’ve started to play hide-n-seek in the house. They especially like it when I jump out and scare them a little followed quickly by chasing them around. It is fun. It takes me back to those hot humid Miami days.

When we play hide-n-seek with God it isn’t much fun. We are trying to escape from our spiritual responsibility. We kind of dare God to come find us even though he already has in and through Jesus Christ. We look for the hardest places to hide, but whom are we kidding? We are really hiding from ourselves aren’t we? We know that if God really does find us there just might be something for us to do. That is the “it” factor in playing games with God. We can run, but we really can’t hide. We can sidestep the responsibility of our discipleship, but we ultimately become the loser.

And besides the best hiding place, the safest hiding place, the purest hiding place is not from God, but in God, with God, through God.

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning,

Safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning, leaning,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

PRAYER:

God, help us to stop playing games with you.