Children
love to play hide and seek. We can all probably remember the best hiding spot
we ever found. I personally remember hiding in a hamper underneath a sweater.
Although friends had opened the hamper, they still didn’t find me. I waited
until no one was around to climb out of my spot, in hopes of using it again in
another game. My son’s favorite spot was in a kitchen set we once had. The
table had a picnic bench seat with a storage compartment. He had climbed in
there, and much to the frustration of his playmates, was never found. They had
passed through the kitchen several times, checking the pantry and all lower
cabinets. It had not occurred to them that the bench may open up, revealing the
perfect hiding spot. And then there was the time the daughter of some friends
crawled into a tiny cabinet. When the children could not find her, they
enlisted the help of the parents. Even though we searched she remained unfound.
As we began to panic, believing she was gone, she opened this tiny door and
yelled, “Surprise!”
Most
everybody can think back with fond memories to great times playing hide and
seek. There is just something so fun about being able to fool the seeker.
Hearing someone search all around and then move on to another room brings an
exhilaration that you have made the cleverest choice. When the seeker returns,
often with others to assist in the search, you hold your breath and hope that
you can again evade detection. When finally found, or called out as being
unable to find, you bask in the accolades of those who tell you what a good
hider you are.
The Bible speaks about finding that perfect hiding place. “You are
a hiding place for me; You, Lord, preserve me from trouble, You surround me
with songs and shouts of deliverance. Selah [pause, and calmly
think of that]!” (Psalm 32:7 AMP) Yes, that perfect
hiding place is God himself. We can run to Him in times of trouble. We can run
to him in times of joy. We are told to live in that hiding place. “He
who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed
under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. I will say of
the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I
lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!” (Psalm 91:1-2 AMP)
Dwelling
in the secret place of the Most High is living a constant awareness of God in
our everyday life. It means staying in constant communication with and
obedience to Him. Then we are surrounded by God and totally enveloped by
Him. The enemies of this life cannot find us. Problems may abound and
storms rage all around us. Hidden in the protection of the Lord, they cannot
harm us. We can wait in confidence for His deliverance from our trials.
Another picture of this hiding place is, “For
You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings will
I rejoice.” (Psalm 63:7AMP) Can’t you just see those giant wings
covering every inch of your body, as God tenderly pulls you to Himself? There
is no way that trouble can find you there or pry you from those wings.
Hide and Seek may be a child’s game. It may be played for fun
and the seeker is a friend not an enemy. But in real life, finding your hiding
place in God is essential. We will all face trials in life. Search for
God and find that daily refuge in him. Search with all your heart, just as you
intently looked for that great hiding place as a child. You will again feel the
safety and exhilaration of knowing that problems will not find you there.
King
David was no stranger to trouble seeking him, yet he eloquently expressed an
awareness of this principle. “Lord how they are increased who trouble me!
Many are they who rise up against me. Many
are saying of me, There is no help for him in God. Selah [pause, and calmly
think of that]! But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter
of my head. With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of
His holy hill. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! I lay down and
slept; I wakened again, for the Lord sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten
thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O
Lord; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek; You
have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord; May Your
blessing be upon Your people. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! (Psalm 3 AMP)
Join the
company of great hiders who knew when to seek refuge. You too can experience
the peace of knowing that God sustains you. And you can rejoice! Receive the accolades of your Heavenly Father as
He whispers to you of what a great hider you are.
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