“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 23:24)

How is it that we think we can hide from the Creator of heaven and earth? Or that our thoughts can be hid from Him? Do we not perceive that the Almighty God, Omnipresent and Omniscient, fills heaven and earth?

David, a man after God’s own heart asked:

“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” (Psalms 139:7)

“If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” (Psalms 139:8)

“If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.” (Psalms 139:11)

Here are a few examples from the Bible of those who thought to hide from or to flee the Presence of God.

Example #1, Adam and Eve

“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8)

“And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?” (Genesis 3:9)

“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:10)

It was Adam and Eve’s nakedness that caused them to hide themselves from the Presence of God.

What is it that we may be trying to hide from Him? Or what is it that is causing us to try to hide from Him?

“Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?” (Job 31:4)

“For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.” (Job 34:21)

Those words of Job are so true, as we will see in our second example of those who try to hide from God:

Example #2, Jonah

“But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.” (Jonah 1:3)

Jonah, in his rebellion against God, did not want to preach the coming Judgment on Nineveh, as God instructed; because of the hatred he had for this nation. Jonah thought that boarding a ship and going to another city would be all he needed to escape the Presence of God. Boy was he wrong!

If we know this story, we know that the Lord sent a great storm that almost killed all aboard, until it was realized that Jonah was the cause of the tempest. Upon this discovery, Jonah was cast overboard, and swallowed up by a great fish, prepared for him by the Lord. After spending three days and nights in the belly of the fish, Jonah prayed unto the Lord, and the Lord heard him.

What has God called you to do, but in your rebellion you are running the opposite way?

“Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:” (Jeremiah 32:19)

Whatever our reason may be, thinking that we can hide from or flee the Presence of the Almighty is nonsense. God is everywhere.