Nancy Hughes: My hiding place

“You are my hiding place; you will protect
me from trouble and surround me
with songs of deliverance.”
Psalm 32:7 (NIV)

“Come find us, Grandma! Bet you can’t find us!” the voices giggled and then were immediately silent. I stood at the back door of my daughter’s house and looked around the yard.

Not in the playhouse. Not behind the shed. No one in the loft of the swing set. I scanned once more and then I saw it: a small chunk of dirt at the top of the huge dirt pile that my son-in-law had deposited by the fence was evidently knocked lose by an unseen force and tumbled to the ground.

I pulled back the green lid from the sandbox that had been pulled over the dirt pile to find a rather large hole and two dirty little faces grinning at me. “How do you like our hiding place?” they asked me together. “I love it!” I replied. “Tell me how you did it.”

Ella and Jude explained that they had used two small buckets and a shovel to dig a hole wide enough for them both to fit in and then pulled the lid to their sandbox up the side of the “mountain” to cover the hole.

“You know why we did that? It’s ‘cause of that crazy dog that keeps coming around. We know we can hide in there and we are safe from that dog!” explained Ella. “And bad guys! Don’t forget the bad guys!” Jude chimed in. “They can’t find us in our hiding place!”

I love Psalm 32:7. The Lord is my hiding place. I know without a doubt that I am safe with Him and that He will protect me. He delivers me from “crazy dogs” and “bad guys” every single day of my life.

What is your hiding place? Where do you take refuge when the tough times slam into your life? Some will hide in their careers or their wealth; others will choose drugs, including alcohol. Still others will hide behind an outward appearance of indifference to whatever is going on around them.

These hiding places may seem to help for a while but they are just temporary and will only protect from the “dogs” and “bad guys” for a short time.

On the other hand, a permanent hiding place, with the Creator of the Universe, will provide a refuge for us to heal, receive His mercy, and be strengthened for what lies ahead.
Don Moen wrote a song based on Psalm 32:7 that begins this way: “You are my hiding place. I run to You. I need Your mercy and grace to see me through. So I run to You.”

Where is your hiding place?

Lord, I long to hide in you when everything around me seems to be falling apart. Thank You for keeping me in the shelter of your wings and covering me with your love. Today I truly run to you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

When situations come up that are difficult, where or who do you turn to first?

Is that refuge temporary or permanent?

Application

Memorize Psalm 32:7 and sing it as praise to the Lord.

Journal Scriptures that talk about the hiding place that the Lord has offered to you each and every day.

Power Verses

Psalm 32:7 (NIV) “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”

Psalm 31:19 (NIV) “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.”

Psalm 31:2 (NIV) “Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.”

Psalm 17:8 (NIV) “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.”

Psalm 57:1 (NIV) “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.”

(For more of Nancy Hughes' writing, check out her blog, Encouragement from the War Room.)