OUR HIDING PLACE

Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt
preserve me from trouble;
thou shalt compass me about
with songs of deliverance. Selah
Psalm 32:7
Thou art my hiding place and my
shield: I hope in thy word.
Psalm 119:114

Last week, I spoke of Corrie ten Boom and her wonderful influence her remaining days after having spent time in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. I referred to the two above verses in my writing about her. These verses brought to mind some things that bear some thought along those lines.

Maybe you were like me when growing up, I loved making tents in the house with quilts and kitchen chairs. Made other tents out in the back yard when the weather was nice. I even had some places I referred to as my hide outs where no one would know where I was. In younger days, we had a coal shed in our back yard. No one ever went into the coal shed except in the evening when my Dad would go there to fill up the coal bucket. I loved the coal shed...even learned to like crunching on coal. Later in another house we had a basement and found ways to be incognito there even though my Mother knew better.

For a time, behind our house, there was a small field with tall growing weeds. In the Fall and Winter, they would dry and “hideouts” could be made in such a way too lengthy to explain for the time being. It was all a part of my childhood days, days of pretense, the fun of feeling I had hiding places. There really wasn't anything to hide from, but it was fun.

After growing up, there are times when adults would like to find hiding places from the cares of the world. Some would like to hide from bill collectors, troublesome neighbors, physical conditions, phone solicitors, criminal threats, and any other troublesome cares or problems. Corrie ten Boom knew what it was to live from day to day, with very little food, filth, death all around, physical abuse and always living with the threat of death either by shooting or in the gas chambers. For her, there was no place to hide, privacy never available.

The above Scriptures above give us an option we don't think of or take advantage of. The key to the hiding place the Psalmist is talking about is the Word. The hiding place itself is not a particular physical location. With the Father as our hiding place, location means nothing for He is with us everywhere, anytime. We can run to Him, to that intimate place in Him we have developed through a surrendered and deeply abiding relationship.

In our hiding place, we shut out the world. It may mean getting apart for a time where it is quiet. When I used to visit my Mother, I would daily drive either to our city park or the local cemetery just to read the Word and shut things out. I can do this at home or drive into the mountains. The place ceases to be important if my heart isn't prepared to meet my Lord wherever.

Our verses tell us some advantages of being in our hiding place with God

*preserves from trouble
*surrounds me with songs of deliverance
*shields me
All this as we hope in His Word.

I hasten to add that it doesn't mean we will never have a crisis or problem. It does mean no matter our concern, we have a place to run to for comfort and assurance of God's functioning on our behalf. As I read Corrine's story, I saw how in the worst of times, she would speak God's Word either to herself or to others. To do that, it meant she had spent hours in the Word leaning it and claiming it. I again say the key to our hiding place is the Word.

We're in the middle of holiday seasons. God is often left on the fringes of our lives. We should know by now that no matter the days, heartaches and troubles still come our way. It could be one of our written invitations coming from our “Hiding Place” could be:

Come unto me, all ye that labor and
are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn
of me; for I am meek and lowly
in heart: and ye shall find rest
unto your souls.
Matthew 11:28,29

Father, I'm so grateful You are my hiding place and can run to You where I can hide myself in you knowing You comfort and give me a time of rest because You are my security, nothing I have is mine but from You and You will always work for my well being. I love You. In Jesus' precious name....Amen