You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. Psalm 32:7
When I was a little girl, I used to like to hide. Hide and seek was one of my favorite games - as long as I wasn't the seeker! I'd make tents out of blankets, pull the covers up over my head at night and read after lights out - flashlight in hand. I know I thought I was getting away with something, but I'm sure my parents knew.
As an adult I had a canopy bed with side curtains. I'd pull them closed and feel "safe" in my own little space.
Small wonder I love the song, "You Are My Hiding Place." (Lyrics on the right in the side bar.) How much nicer it is to have a hiding place that goes everywhere I do. Lately, with all that life offers, having a dependable hiding place is so reassuring.
I often wonder how those who don't have God in their lives manage to make it through. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God is the only reason I can face the chain of events that have unfolded in our lives the past 10 years or so. Suicide attempts by children, car accidents, cancer, heart surgery, the murder of my daughter, and illness upon illness. To say it's been overwhelming is an understatement.
Yet, in all of this - there has been a place of refuge. A hiding place that brings comfort and yes, even joy.
Another song comes to mind. The song? You Are My God. The words, almost straight from Psalms, begin:
Deliver me O lord, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of righteous men for You are my hope alone.
In You I put my trust, You've upheld me since I was born, You took me out of my mother's womb and I will sing your praise.
For You are my God and I'll sing of your praises. O Holy one of Israel, my heart will rejoice in You.
For You are my God, my soul You've redeemed and I'll speak of Your righteousness for all my days.
In You I put my hope and increasingly tell of Your praises, my mouth will sing Your salvation, so limitless Your love.
I will sing Your praise and speak Your glory alone.
Lord, give me the power to declare Your love the remainder of my days.
For You are my God and I'll sing of Your praises, O Holy one of Israel, my heart will rejoice in You,
For you are my God, my soul you've redeemed and I'll speak of your righteousness for all my days.
Amen.
You Are My God by Jonathan and Cindy Bernd