“Come to me. (…) Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30(MSG).
Many years ago, I had a very vivid dream. I dreamed I was sitting on the ground among the branches of a bush in the middle of a forest. All was quiet until I heard footsteps from a distance. My view was obstructed by the branches and the leaves of my little sheltering bush, but I immediately knew that God was coming this way! All I could see were His feet, the hem of His flowing robe and His shadow on the ground. But what I saw next astounded me! I noticed that as He walked by, His shadow passed over some of the plants and the flowers of the field along the road. As soon as they encountered His shadow, they blossomed, stood taller, and their colours became much more vibrant and beautiful! In comparison, the other normal flowers looked slightly wilted, bland, and greyish, even if they were in their prime. I sat in awe as I watched every single plant and flower without exception blossom as it made contact with the shadow of God!
Suddenly, it hit me that God knew I was sitting in the dirt, hiding in a bush, looking at Him from a distance, and I felt a little sad and embarrassed. But then, I heard His gentle voice call out to me and ask, “Why are you hiding? Come, join Me.” I was amazed at the invitation! After seeing the impact His shadow had on mere flowers, I couldn’t imagine what it must be like to be in close contact with Him!
I woke up from that dream wondering whether I would have chosen to stay in the safety of my little bush or if I was brave enough to step out in the open space and accept God’s invitation to encounter Him up close and personal. I would like to imagine that I jumped for joy at His invitation and ran to His side. But the truth is that living out our faith from a safe distance is terribly appealing. We all have parts of ourselves that we would rather not fully surrender and submit to God. Pieces of ourselves that make us cringe a bit when we think about bringing them out of hiding and into the bright light. We can even tell ourselves that we can still see God and what He does from the shelter of a bush. We can still witness wonderful things and feel comfortable without vulnerability or exposure. After all, hiding in a bush is part of our spiritual DNA. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they hid from God:
“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”. Genesis 3:8-9 (ESV).
God called out to them, just as He calls out to us today. Interestingly, it doesn’t say when Adam and Eve came out of hiding in the Bible. Maybe they had the entire conversation with God about what they had done from the shelter of their new hiding place. Stepping out of hiding to encounter God can be a bold and courageous step.
But how can we trust God when we don’t let go? How can we love God when we won’t draw close enough to encounter Him?
Are you hiding in a bush today? Can you hear Him calling to you like He did with Adam and Eve? Is He inviting you to come to Him? Is it a struggle to step out? I understand; you’re not alone in this.
Fortunately, the Bible is filled with invitations and beautiful promises of life for all those who do step out!
“Drink deeply of the pleasures of this God. Experience for yourself the joyous mercies he gives to all who turn to hide themselves in him.” Psalms 34:8 (TPT).
Heavenly Father, thank you for your endless grace and mercy as we learn how to run to you freely and joyfully! Father, keep calling to us, keep inviting us into your presence; don’t let us settle for the bushes of this life. Help us taste and see that you are good and trustworthy at all times. Thank you for pursuing us through all the highs and lows of life. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen!
