One of my favorite games to play with the grandkids is Hide and Seek. Several years ago, our granddaughters Avery and Haley had their mom bring them to our house just to play that game. Avery, who was 8 years old at the time told me, “Papa, we are ready to play Hide and Seek. And this time we aren’t going to fall for any of your tricks.” Her little sister Haley who was 6 chimed in, “Yeah, none of your tricks work!”

They were referring to times when we have played and I have made the bed and used the blanket to cover pillows so that it looks like I am hiding under there. One time, I even put shoes sticking out of the end of the blanket just to really sell it. The first time I did that trick, Avery ran over to the bed shouting, “I see your shoes!” She pulled the blanket off the bed only to find a pair of shoes and several pillows. I was watching from the closet, and I laughed so loud she found me right away. One time when Avery was just 4 years old, she got on our bed and covered herself with pillows. She thought that nobody saw her. And the truth is, I might not have seen her if her feet weren’t sticking out from under the pillows.

As I was thinking of that the other day, I was reminded that many people have experienced times when they thought that no one saw them. They have felt like they were hidden and that anyone who might pass by would never even notice them. And the sad truth is, many people have experienced times when they were hurting or struggling and someone walked by and looked the other way. And while it is fun to feel “hidden” and “unseen” while you’re playing Hide and Seek, it is not so much fun at other times. That is one reason that Psalm 139 resonates so well within my soul. David speaks of God’s love for him and writes:

Psalm 139:7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

David shares some wonderful truths in this psalm. God always knows where we are. He always knows how we feel. He knows what we are going through. We are never hidden from Him. I find that thought comforting because wherever I am, however I may feel, I only need to reach out to Him and His right hand will hold me fast (Psalm 139:10). I hope you know that is a promise for you as well, wherever you may be, and however you may be feeling today.  May the Lord bless you, strengthen you, and give you peace.

Until next time, stay strong in the faith.