Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, there I will hunt them down and seize them. Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them. – Amos 9:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 7, 2020): Amos 9

Let’s play a thought experiment. Last night, the world, at least as we know it, ended. Maybe North Korea finally exploded a Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse over North America, and everything has failed. Computers and other electronics no longer work, and neither does anything that relies on the microelectronics that dominates our culture. That means that our cars and trucks have stopped. Traffic in North America has come to a standstill. All communication is out. Police have no way of patrolling the area except by foot and maybe the few horses that they have been able to confiscate, and with the few officers who know how to ride them. As a result, our world is in the hands of criminals. No help is coming. In fact, the repair of the system will take billions of dollars and at least six months to begin, let alone the years it will take to get back to year 0, or the time before “the pulse.” Stores will have no food for the foreseeable future. (I bet you are glad for the annoying rabbits running around your neighborhood now.) If this was our new reality, where would you go?

The real problem is that this is a question for which few of us have an answer. My first priority would probably be to try to reconnect with family members in the area, and then it would be a “go from there” proposition. One of the real problems would be the lack of communication and not knowing what my family might be doing.

Mount Carmel

In ancient Israel, the obvious answer might be “Mount Carmel.” Granted, Carmel was already swarming with people, mostly criminals, trying to escape authorities. Its cliff face was pockmarked with anonymous caves that could be used for shelter. The slopes of the mountain were lush with vegetation that would attract game that could be hunted. It was a great hiding place if a hiding place was needed.

Some even thought it would be an excellent place to hide from God. But Amos reminds his readers that God can find you. He is in the deepest parts of the ocean and is not afraid of the heights offered on the plateau of Mount Carmel. Wherever your hiding place might be, God is already there, which is actually a good thing. Because when we find ourselves in need of a hiding place, that is when we are usually in the most need of our God.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Jonah 1 & 2