The Hiding Place

On Saturday my sister and I watched two little boys from our church. Actually, for the past three Saturdays we’ve watched them because their mom is in the hospital trying to keep from having her third baby prematurely. In the meantime, we are trying to help Bro. Glenn out by watching their two little boys so he can do some things in the house, etc., without having two little boys in tow.

We’ve really had a lot of fun with Daniel (age 3) and Nathan (age 2). (We call them our “chocolate babies.”) It’s not been at all difficult because their parents are good parents and discipline them and are training them the way all good parents do. We especially had a lot of fun last Saturday. After lunch I set up a “tent” for the boys, putting two kitchen chairs together and covering them with a blanket from the couch. They loved it, especially Daniel, and immediately began playing under it.

Once he was under the tent, Daniel started talking about a bear. He somehow got it in his little head that my mom was the bear, so every time Mom walked past she would growl, and Daniel would scream with delight. Both boys would cautiously approach her as she was busy doing things around the house. Then Mom would turn around and growl at them, and they would both scurry for the safety of their tent, all the while screaming and shouting with glee. It was so funny!!!

Lydia put Nathan down for a nap later on. She and Mom were both upstairs, and I was busy cleaning the messy kitchen floor after lunch and doing some other things. Daniel came to me and excitedly told me that “the bear” was coming. Then he clutched my hand and urged me into the security of the tent. He got himself all settled inside and then looked up at me with those big brown eyes and began telling me in jumbled-up childish words that “the bear” was outside, and “the bear” wanted to get us. He was so adorable! As I was “hiding” in the tent from the big bad “bear,” and listening to Daniel whispering to me, I had a revelation. Daniel and I were just playing a childish game, but suddenly I began thinking about it in a different light…in a way that made our game seem very real. So, without further ado, let me share some thoughts I had on the matter with you.

At one time or another, I think every adult can look back and remember the great fun of playing games as a child. Especially games that involve hiding. Didn’t you feel so safe in that little corner, hiding behind the couch, or snuggled under a blanket? Those were wonderful days. I remember always wanting to be big when I was a little girl. My goal was to grow up so I could do adult things…fun things. Little did I realize that being a child, with no responsibilities, when the worst thing that could happen was scraping my knee…little did I realize that those were some of the best days of my life. But that’s just the way we are. We are always wanting something else…something better…something greater (or so we think). As we grew up, we somehow came to the conclusion that hiding games were something that children played. We were above such childlike foolishness. In our hurry to grow up, we put away “childish things,” and hiding games were forgotten.

You know, I think we adults miss out on so much. Having finally attained our great “maturity” and independence, we have forgotten our childhood games. We have forgotten what it was like to feel insecure as the “bad guy” searched for us. We have forgotten what it was like to need to find a good hiding place where we felt safe. As grown ups, it is important to be strong, but sometimes I think we forget that it’s okay to be weak. We have underestimated the importance of finding a hiding place, having a higher opinion of ourselves than to admit that we have a need…that we are human…that we are vulnerable and long for protection…for security in a cruel world. We have failed to realize that our childhood playtimes have carried on into real life. Only, the “bad guy” isn’t just another child pretending. And what we thought was something to be afraid of then has multiplied. There really are dangers out there. There really are things we should fear. It’s fine to be strong and ignore the harsh realities of life, but it takes a bigger man (or woman) to acknowledge them and then wisely find a hiding place.

The problem is that, as adults, hiding behind the couch doesn’t work anymore. We are too big to fit in the tiny spaces that once hid our small frames. Neither will a blanket do to shut out the traumas we face. It just won’t solve the problem. Where can we find a hiding place? We can go on vacation for a while. But the problems will still be there when we return. Where can we find a hiding place? This is the question of millions today. This world is full of people who are searching for some kind of hiding place. Anything to shut out the fear…the loneliness. Some people use addictions like smoking, drinking, drugs, porno, etc., etc., as a means of escape. But it is only temporary. Others use things that seem innocent, like eating incessantly, to take their minds off of their troubles. A person could be using a romantic relationship as a way of staying afloat…as a reason for living. The lifelong quest of the human race is finding a purpose in life. And at some point, when the distractions fail to sidetrack our minds from life’s trials, we realize our need for a hiding place…a shelter. But, where can we find that hiding place?

As I sat with Daniel in the tent, and he looked up at me with those big brown eyes, I thought, not about the hiding game we were playing, but the spiritual application of hiding. The whole game takes on a new meaning when you think of it in a spiritual light.
Satan is the “bear.” He hunts us like prey, seeking to destroy us. He will stop at nothing. Like a furious bear, his ultimate goal is to track us down and tear us apart. He wants to destroy our lives and then send our souls to a burning Hell for all eternity.
Jesus Christ is our “tent.” He is a shelter and a refuge. As He bled and died on the cruel cross of Calvary, Jesus made a way of escape from the fearsome claws of Satan, the destroyer. He offered Himself as a sacrifice in our place, taking the punishment we deserve. Jesus became a hiding place from the licking flames of Hell. We can run to Him for our security, trusting in His saving blood and asking for forgiveness for our sins. And then He will be our hiding place...our eternal security. I have found my hiding place in Jesus Christ. He is my security. He said “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) Jesus welcomes all those who are weary of their troubles and their addictive distractions to come to Him and find the rest they have been searching for all along. Jesus offers relief to those who are tired of trying to outrun the “bear,” Satan. Truly, there is rest in Jesus. At the end of broken dreams, He is the open door, waiting to shelter the crushed soul.

The thing is, we have to be willing to admit that they can’t go on any longer. Daniel’s little tent had just a tiny entrance. In order to enter the tent, both of us had to stoop to the ground and kneel to enter the shelter. In the same way, we have to bow our will and bend our stubborn pride to enter the small doorway that leads to eternal security in Jesus Christ. In order to enter the small gate that leads to Heaven, we have to leave our sin and pride behind. Pride will keep us standing outside the gate, and sin will make it impossible to enter in. Is it worth it? Would you let your sin keep you from entering the hiding place? Would you allow such an insignificant thing as your pride restrain you from rushing into the open arms of Jesus? David’s testimony is this: “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” (Psalm 130:1-4) David cried out for mercy, and he obtained forgiveness for his sin. There is forgiveness to be found in Jesus Christ. Proverbs 22:3 points out that “a prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” Wise men and women admit that they are helpless to hide from Satan, the “bear,” and run to Jesus, the hiding place, instead.

Not only is Jesus a hiding place for our souls in light of eternity, but He is a shelter for us throughout this present life we live.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
“For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.” Psalm 61:3

If you are a Christian, then you know that just because you got saved it doesn’t mean you are safe from the prowling of Satan, the “bear.” Upon receiving Christ as our Savior, we obtained eternal security for our souls, but the “bear” has not given up on tormenting us in this present life. In fact, often things get harder after we become Christians. Satan is enraged that our souls no longer belong to him, thus, he seeks to make our temporal lives as miserable as possible. Jesus said in John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” When the “bear” comes in search of us, we can run to our Hiding Place, the Keeper of our souls, and find peace. Jesus said, “In ME ye might have peace.”

Psalm 27 is my favorite Psalm. I can’t tell you how many times I have drawn strength from those 14 verses. One verse that has always soothed my troubled heart is this: “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:5) Pavilion. The secret of His tabernacle. Those words intrigue me! Have you ever taken a moment and thought about what God’s pavilion must look like? Have you ever considered what it must be like to be hidden in the secret of His tabernacle?

I like to picture things in my mind, and in my imagination I have formed images of these mysterious dwellings. I believe a girl’s hair should be long enough to cover her face when she prays. According to 1 Corinthians 11:15, a girl’s hair is given her for a covering…a veil. In prayer one day, as my hair fell around my face, encircling it like a curtain, I began to realize what Psalm 27:5 meant by the word “pavilion” and the phrase to be hidden in “the secret of His tabernacle.” I shut my eyes, and in my mind I pictured myself kneeling on a thick, soft carpet in the center of a large room. It had no walls, but thick tapestries of deep and rich colors hung all around, acting as a wall…sheltering me. Scarlet is the color I remember the most. Those beautiful tapestries were gorgeous prints of crimson red with threads of gold. I saw myself knelt, as if in prayer, in the center of this room. So small, insignificant, and almost helpless was I, in this large place. It appeared that I was alone…and yet an enormous Presence seemed to occupy every space. The air surrounding me was warm….the perfect temperature. All was quiet and still. An unspeakable peace reigned there. A gentle serenity and warmth filled my entire being. It was as if Someone was holding me with love so intense that it seemed to seep into every pore and calm my soul. I felt safe. Oh, so very safe!

As I opened my eyes that picture fled from my mind, but it left an indelible impression on me. I was reminded of Psalm 18:19 and Psalm 118:5. “He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.” “I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.” After that brief experience of God’s presence, I might have an idea…some clue of the meaning of Psalm 27:5. The Lord set me in a large place, in His pavilion, and He hid me in the secret of His tabernacle. Jesus, my hiding place. When life becomes too hard to bear and I feel about to break under the pressure, I run to my Hiding Place and find shelter there, in the loving embrace of my Lord.

“Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.” Psalm 32:7
“Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.” Psalm 119:114

Remember how I wrote that whenever “the bear” was nearby, Daniel would call for me to come to the tent and be safe with him? On one occasion as I was busily working around the house, he came to me, and, grabbing my hand, he tried to pull me into the tent, all the while telling me that “the bear” was coming to get me. Well, that got me thinking as well. You know, sometimes we Christians are just plain dumb! We go through life in ignorance, totally unaware that “the bear” is on the prowl, tracking our scent. All around us our friends and family are urging us, like Daniel did with me, to hide in the safety of “the tent.” What does the tent mean, in this case? It could mean any number of things. A deeper relationship with the Lord. The security of the church. The wisdom and counsel of a spiritual leader, etc., etc. You know what “the tent” means for you in your circumstances. Dear Christian, if your pastor, parents, siblings, friends, or brothers and sisters at church are taking your hand and pulling you into the security of “the tent,” don’t fight against them! They are trying to help you! They love you and long to know that you are safe from the lethal claws of “the bear.” Only a fool rejects the loving warnings of those urging him into the safety of “the tent.” Christian, I plead with you, lay down your pride and flee from the attempts of Satan to violently attack you! Run to Jesus, your hiding place. He offers peace and rest. He longs to set you in a large place and shower His love upon you!

Jesus can bring you through whatever difficulties you are going through. He offers peace in a world wracked with fear and rest in a world full of anxiety. Are those problems too much to bear? Enter into the secret of His tabernacle. Lay down your burdens before the Lord in prayer. Your trials were not sent to crush your back but to bring you back to your first Love, the Lord Jesus. He asks that you lay them before Him. Surrender it all to Him. His shoulders are broad and strong enough to carry that which would cripple you.

Bear not a single care thyself;
One is too much for thee.
The work is Mine, and Mine alone;
Thy work ~ to rest in Me.

Remember the words of “I Must Tell Jesus”:

I must tell Jesus all of my trials;

I cannot bear these burdens alone;

In my distress He kindly will help me;

He ever loves and cares for His own.

Remember how fun it was to hide as a child? You can hide once again! Simply forget your grownup maturity and leave off your brave independence. Those who have these qualities of self assurance are the first to be sniffed out by Satan, the devouring “bear.” It takes a bigger man or woman to admit weakness and then run in childlike faith to Jesus, the hiding place.

Will you flee to the safety of the Hiding Place?

You are my hiding place,

You always fill my heart with songs of deliverance.

Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.

Let the weak say I am strong in the strength of the Lord.
You are my hiding place.

I will trust in You!