Discovering the joy and necessity of a hiding place with God
By Dean Collins
I suspect that you, like millions of others, may be hiding something. I am not talking about your family secrets or hidden sins, though we might get to that at some point. This time of year many of us are buying Christmas presents for children and grandchildren and have figured out certain hiding places to use until we get the presents wrapped and under the tree. The hiding we use in this case is warranted. We want Christmas presents to be special for our little ones. There is something magical about watching a child open a present.
Hiding from trouble
While we eagerly wait to celebrate the birth of Jesus and see his second coming, we do so in a world filled with great conflict and turmoil, suffering under the weight of the sins of humanity. When Jesus arrived, most of the known world was ruled by Rome. There was great taxation by Rome. Jesus was born into a world filled with anxiety, oppression, and injustice. While our world is far advanced in many ways since Jesus was born, we still live in a time of political unrest, a challenged world economy, and great need with nearly a quarter of the world living below the U.S. poverty rate.
As we celebrate the coming of Christ at Christmas, we long for the time when Jesus will return and restore all things. While it is fun to hide our chosen gifts until we give them to family and friends on Christmas, I suspect there are many days you long for a place to hide away from the troubles and anxiety of current personal and societal challenges.
Centuries ago the psalmist wrote these words:
“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.”
Throughout Scripture we read of God being our hiding place, our shelter in the time of the storm, our rock, and our shield. As we wait for the coming of Jesus, we can find protection, strength, and hope in the shadow of the almighty God.
In Psalm 32, David again tells us that God is our hiding place and he preserves us through our troubles and surrounds us with deliverance. David also tells us that God will instruct us and teach us in the way we should go. It is one thing to find protection in a safe place to hide, but we also need to know how to live and navigate our lives.
Hoping in his Word
When the psalmist tells us that God is our hiding place and shield, he also tells us to hope in his Word. We can hope in his Word only if we know and understand his promises. The pages of Scripture teach us how to navigate every difficulty we encounter.
When Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, he gave us both a model prayer and clear instructions on where we are to pray:
“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
While Jesus wasn’t against public prayer, he did tell us to come to him alone, in private, to shut the door, and to pray. Maybe there is a connection between our “hiding place” and our prayer time. The daily discipline of time alone with God—away from our troubles, our friends, and our family—is essential not only to our ongoing spiritual formation. It is the place where, hidden away from others, we can hear God speak to us through his Word and by his Spirit.
Gathered under his wings
When Jesus came to Jerusalem in the last days before his crucifixion we read these sad yet also comforting words:
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”
Jesus desired to surround Jerusalem but his beloved would not allow it. God demonstrated his love for us when he sent Jesus into the world to save us. Through the acceptance of Jesus as our Savior, we are born into his family. As his sons and daughters, we now share not only in the family of God but also in the mission of God to renew and restore all that is broken.
When we work and serve God by serving others in this broken world, we will often face difficulties much too big for us to handle alone. The good news is that the promises of God were not only good in the past, but they are also good and true and available today.
As we wait for the return of Jesus and as we work to spread his love far and wide, I pray that each of us would learn to go often, even daily, to our hiding place alone with God. When we do, God will cover us with his loving arms, remind us of all his promises, and give us the strength and the wisdom to navigate every challenge victoriously.
Lord, today we come to you alone that you might protect us, nurture us, and prepare us to be used as your servants to those both near and far. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your time with God’s Word
Psalm 119:114; 32:7-8; 28:7; Matthew 23:37,6:6 ESV
Photo by Jonah Cowie at istockphoto.com
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