Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Hebrews 4-13

Peek-A-Boo! I see you! You’ve covered your eyes and asked, “Where’s Mommy?” or “Where did Daddy go?” Suddenly you uncover your face and squeal, “Here I am!” If you don’t scare your very young child half to death, he or she will provide the big smile you were looking for. It’s likely the first game you play with your baby and that child will catch on very quickly. Before you know it, you’ll get the full belly laugh you were hoping for. Soon that tiny being will be covering his own eyes or she will hide behind a favorite “blankie” only to reappear and wait expectantly for your surprised response. And, of course, you’ll be right there, shocked that this tiny being has reappeared and thoroughly convinced that you have the smartest baby on earth.

Hiding and waiting to be found is a natural human phenomenon. At any age, and no matter who   we are, we tend to hide activities we may feel are questionable or thoughts we know we shouldn’t have. Don’t deny it…it’s inevitable! Think back to the Garden of Eden before you protest. We all wear masks at times, trying to fool others into thinking we are something different than we really are. And that may work for a while with other humans. After all, if we continually hang out with the best and brightest, maybe a little of their luster will rub off on us. But eventually, the truth will surface.

With God, there is never a time when He doesn’t know your real feelings or doesn’t have a window into those questionable activities. If a tiny little doubt niggles at your brain, He’ll know it. The good part about that is, unlike your human counterparts who may toss you under the bus when they realize your failings, He will reach out His hand and say, “I forgive.”

God has never expected His creation to be flawless. From before time began, He knew we would need real visual proof that He exists and wants to enter into a relationship with each of us. He sent us Jesus to make that human connection, to give us a God with skin and hair, eyes and ears, a heart beating inside His chest. And that heart beats with a love for you that is so full and so complete, He can forgive anything you do.

God Isn’t Afraid of Our Doubts. He’s Way More Concerned When We Fake It.

Doubts will come! As much as we would like to protest that we never doubt God, it happens. When a relationship unravels and breaks apart, when the doctor delivers a diagnosis we hadn’t expected, when the job we thought would last for as long as we wanted it suddenly vanishes or, perhaps several challenges attack us from all sides, we will question where God is, why this is happening to us, why doesn’t He understand how much we’re hurting. He does! He’s always there for us. It is we who have fallen away from Him. But He created a way back for all of us through the giving of the greatest Gift of all, His own Son.

So, instead of hiding behind a mask, or a “Blankie”, we just need to share those doubts and questions with Him. He will forgive and He will provide answers in His good time. It’s time to get real and trust Him with your doubts, your anxieties, your failures. No failure is so big that God can’t forgive it. Just give Him a chance.

We need to get real enough with Him about our doubts so He can be Jesus enough with His grace.

Quotes, other than Biblical, are from Live In Grace, Walk In Love by Bob Goff