You Cannot Hide from God

6 October 2026

Jonah thought he could escape. God had told him to go to Nineveh, but Jonah “got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence.” He was not confused about God’s command. He was running from God Himself. Mark points out, “The Lord’s presence is not a place on a map. Jonah wants to get away from the Lord himself.” We can understand that temptation. We may not run across the sea, but we can try to create distance between ourselves and God by hiding our sin, neglecting prayer, or avoiding obedience.

Jonah travelled in the wrong direction, and the text keeps taking him downward. He “went down to Joppa,” then “went down into” the ship, and eventually “had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel.” Mark captures the pattern with three simple words: “Down. Down. Down.” Jonah thought he was getting away, but he was actually sinking deeper. Yet Psalm 139 reminds us that escape is impossible: “Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7, CSB). God sees every step.

Then the storm came. “The storm was not bad luck. It was not bad weather. The storm belongs to the Lord.” God was not absent from Jonah’s rebellion. He was pursuing Jonah through the circumstances around him. Even when Jonah had gone as far as he could, the Lord had not let him go. That truth should sober us, but it should also comfort us. God sees the sin we hide, the thoughts we conceal, and the compromises nobody else knows about. He sees them because nothing is hidden from Him.

So stop pretending that what you hide from everyone else is hidden from God. Bring it into the light today. Confess it plainly. Do not hide behind vague words such as “I have made some mistakes.” Name the sin. Turn from it. Trust the Lord who already knows. Mark asks us to remember, “You can’t cover your eyes and hide away from God.” If you belong to Christ, God’s presence is not merely something to fear. He is your Father. His presence means you are never abandoned. Teach your children that God sees them everywhere, not simply to catch them doing wrong, but to remind them that He is always near.

Father, You see everything in me. Help me stop hiding what You already know. Give me grace to confess my sin, turn back to You, and rest in Your faithful presence. Amen.

Read the sermon notes here.

Watch the sermon here.

This devotional content is not penned by the preacher. It is derived from the sermon notes. We aim to provide bite-sized reflections throughout the week for devotion and reflection.