Post #63 GOD NEVER HIDES FROM US

Posted and E-mailed Mar 9, 2007

This message came to me this morning but it’s a topic my bible study group talked about on Wednesday related to see Psalm 27:9. So I guess this is GOD’S answer to the questions we brought up during that meeting .

SURPRISE! SURPRISE! GOD'S answer is in the bible. In Matthew 13:13 and 13:14-17, Christ uses the words of the prophet Isaiah to answer our question. Christ said, “… they LOOK, but DO NOT SEE, and they LISTEN, but DO NOT HEAR or UNDERSTAND.” The passage Christ referred to was from Isaiah 6:9, “No matter how much you listen, you will not understand. No matter how much you look, you will not know what is happening."

In those passages, GOD’S talking to us through Isaiah and Christ. HE'S saying HE NEVER HIDES. We just DON’T want to hear what HE’S saying or do what HE’S ASKING. So we DON’T SEE, HEAR or UNDERSTAND HIM. HE ISN'T HIDING. Sometimes we just DON'T want to see, hear or believe.

I’m NOT GOD or as close to GOD and Christ and/or many of the prophets GOD prepared for HIS WORK but GOD does give me wisdom beyond my capabilities. With that in mind, I’ll pass on the words HE gave me to help me find HIS WORDS (see above) in the bible: “You WON’T SEE HIM if you DON’T LOOK; You WON’T HEAR HIM if you DON’T LISTEN; you WON’T KNOW HIM if you DON’T STUDY and put HIS WORDS into PRACTICE.” Now I understand Christ's message to those that thought they were CLOSE to GOD but were told GO AWAY I DO NOT KONW YOU.

So DON’T assume GOD is hiding. You have to admit you AREN’T trying to find HIM. Just like drug users and/or alcoholics CAN’T quit TILL they admit they have a problem. We CAN’T find GOD till we ADMIT we HAVEN’T been looking/seeking (seek and you shall find).

Now ask yourselves this question, (Matthew 5:20) “… are you more faithful than the teaches of the law and the Pharisees in doing what GOD REQUIRES?” Christ gave us the answer when he referenced scripture again in Matthew 9:13 and said, “… ‘It is kindness that I want, NOT animal sacrifices.’” He went on to say, “I have NOT come to call RESPECTABLE people but OUTCASTS.” He’s telling us ACTIONS speak LOUDER than words. Are you living your life according to GOD’S WORD or are you living your life like the scribes and Pharisees. Taking your rewards here on earth and pointing fingers at those you want to believe aren’t as close to GOD as you want to believe you are.

Remember the Pharisees BRAGGED about the long prayers they said and the time they spent in the temple (see Mark 12:38-40 and Luke 20:46-47). On the other hand the people Christ came to save were to busy helping others, paying tides to the church and feeding a family to have time for the things that the scribes and Pharisees wanted us to believe so important.

Today we see the SAME things in our world. People believe going to church makes them holier than their neighbor that might never get to church. They believe saying the rosary (long prayers) makes them holier than their neighbor who gives GOD credit for everything they’ve accomplished. To bad they didn’t read the bible and think about why NO ONE threw the first stone. GOD is going to be the final judge. It WON’T matter how good or bad we think we are or how much better we think we are then our neighbor. HE’S going to judge us based on the rules HE gave us in the scripture. Just remember, HE NEVER HIDES. If you DON’T know where HE is and you CAN’T SEE or HEAR HIM, you better make sure you’re finding time to study HIS WORD and then start following the teachings in those messages. If you do, I'll bet you'll find GOD and be happier than you've ever been.

LATER NOTE (March 15, 2007): The concept was good (NOT WANTING TO LOSE TOUCH WITH GOD) but it would have been better to ask GOD to keep us from leaving HIM. HE NEVER leaves or hides from us. That idea comes from Christ's teachings and the prayer he taught us. On Good Friday he told the apostle to PRAY that they NOT be TEMPTED and in the OUR FATHER (which he wrote) he taught us to asks that we NOT be lead into temptation (same concept). So avoiding SIN is the BEST way to keep on GOD'S GOOD SIDE.

Thus we should be asking GOD to keep the devil away and/or keep us from leaving HIM. It is SIN that makes US HIDE from GOD. That's one of the FIRST LESSONS taught in the bible. It happened in the Garden of Eden. When man (Adam and Eve) first SINNED (they ate the forbidden fruit). They knew they had done worng. So they TRIED to physically HIDE from GOD and they tried to HIDE their SIN which only adds to the problem by pushing us further and further from GOD.

So the message is clear. It is SIN that makes US HIDE from GOD. GOD NEVER LEAVE US.