Page 18 - Hide and Seek
P. 18
Chapter Four
Meeting me at every secret hiding place before I would get intervention. I don’t want to be examined, because they
there. might discover the root causes for some of my symptoms.
The prognosis could require changes to my dietary habits or
hygiene.
I heard the private stories of other people living behind a Our fears about drawing nigh unto God are centered on the
mask and their stories begin to stir me. Something must be results that will occur from such an encounter. What will
done about all the hiding, hurting people who live hidden, be expected of me? What will I have to change? If I don’t
underneath mountains of shame, personal failures, and dis- know what I am eating is physically destroying me,
appointments. I was among them. I continue to eat it and even enjoy it.
I have no clue of what it is doing to my body, and therefore
I shared the tears and the scars hidden beneath the mask. no conscious to change what I am doing. When we
We wear masks for many reasons, perhaps the most com- come face to face with God, we will see microscopic in-
mon is fear of not being loved and accepted. Until I am consistencies that were not noticeable on the surface of our
convinced you will not laugh at, scorn, or criticize who I am, relationship. We will see the truth about our behavior and
I will keep on the disguise that makes me acceptable to you. habits we have enjoyed that impaired us spiritually.
When the prophet, Isaiah, discovered he’d stumbled into
the presence of God, (Isaiah chapter 6), he acknowledged
Many believe God would not receive the person buried the truth about himself. He said, “Woe is me! for I am
beneath their guilt and shame. I later discovered that God undone; because I am a man of unclean lips...” Isaiah was
loves the man underneath the mask, failures and all. “Just exposed before God like a patient in a doctor’s office.
as I am, without one plea; but that thy blood was shed for Undone. Wearing that little hospital apron that doesn’t
me.” completely cover our body. We are undone, and uncomfort-
able with the exposure we are feeling. Not being fully
covered, Isaiah saw himself unclean. This is Isaiah’s
assessment about himself, God did not speak a word of
My disappointments of the past have become opportunities condemnation against him.
to find new appointments in the present. Now, I can watch
what God said back then coming to fruition.
When a patient walks into a doctors office they are expect-
ing to leave with more than a diagnosis; an explanation of
what is wrong. What the patient is waiting to hear are the
instructions on how to battle the pain or disease inside of
their body. Before our visit with God is complete, He will
show us how to purge the iniquities in our life. The angel of
the Lord, took from the altar of God, a live coal to purify
Isaiah’s mouth, healing him from the diseases of sin, so he
could use his mouth to speak for God.
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