My Hiding Place
Today’s Verse:
Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. ~Psalm 32:7
A storm can be a very frightening event to be in. Howling winds, torrential rain, and terrible weather conditions can make us very nervous and watchful. David was going through a storm in his life. However, it was a spiritual storm where the wind of God’s voice was blowing into his soul and the raindrops of God’s mercies were dripping on his head. David made some important decisions in the storm that he was in. We can learn some valuable lessons about the shelter in a time of storm.
There is David and his confession.
David had committed at least two very grave sins involving the lives of other people. Both could have resulted in his capital punishment. He was spared not because he was king, but because God was merciful. He had just made a great confession of his sins and reflected on the happiness that came into his heart. Confession led to his forgiveness by God. Confession led to a renewed freedom from the guilt of sin. Confession led to his restored fellowship. The storm brought him to his senses and the realization that there is no progress in our life until repentance and confession are present.
There is David and his covering.
He said, “Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble.” Storms can batter us; storms can drench us; storms can make cowards of us. David needed a place away from the storm where there would be safety and protection. He found it in the presence of the Lord. This hiding place was the prayer closet where we are to shut the door and shut out every distraction that will keep us from knowing the Lord. It is the place where it is just you and God. It is a restful place where we find peace in the midst of the storm. It is a restorative place where our soul life is restored and replenished. It is a recurring place where we must return over and over again for the same spiritual medicine that we need. Safety consists not in the absence of danger but in the presence of God.
There is David and his counsel.
It was there that David needed to know what to do next. When he took matters into his own hands, he made a mess of things and wound up in a storm. He was now a man of contriteness, and he was somewhat unsure of himself and his next step. The Lord told him, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” God gave him the best counsel that he could have asked for. God told him that He would show him the way he should go and that He would be the “seeing eye” that he needed. What a relief to know that God will teach and instruct us in which way to go. The idea of teaching and instruction implied that David needed to be back in the Word of God for direction. When we go through a storm, we need the Lord to show us the way out and not try to find it on our own.
In some old castles are found deep wells meant to supply the garrison in time of siege. An aqueduct bringing water from without would be at the mercy of the enemy, but the foe had no power over the well inside. The peace that the world seeks depends on one's surroundings, and in time of trouble, its source is cut off; but the peace of Christ is a spring inside. [Source: The King's Business]
David found the Lord to be his hiding place: his shelter in the time of storm. Don’t let the storm drive you from God but, rather, to Him. Find rest for your soul in the eye of the storm!
Have a peace-filled God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Psalms 120-125