I don’t know about you, but there are days I wish I could lower my sails and slip into a hidden cove somewhere away from the world. Someplace no one can find me. A place my problems and my troubles and my fears and my heartaches are not allowed to enter. A peaceful place. A safe place.
Then I read these Scriptures:
You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance (Psalm 32: 6–7 NKJV).
You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word (Psalm 119:114 AMP).
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] (Psalm 91:1 AMP).
And I realized, God’s presence is my hiding place. Anytime I want, I can run and sit at His feet. I can talk to Him and listen to Him. I can receive His love and protection. It’s the safest and most wonderful place on earth. It’s the place Jesus died to give us—it’s a relationship with the Father.
Just because I am a published author and I write books that glorify God doesn’t mean I have it all together. Like everyone else, my life is filled with troubles: relationship problems within my own family, kids that have gone astray, loved ones who don’t know God. I also have a bad temper, break down and cry at the drop of a hat, eat too much, can’t sleep at night and am insecure. And sometimes when I get a phone call with bad news, I just plain lose it. That happened to me last week. Instead of remaining calm and praying, I ranted and raved and got myself all twisted up with anxiety and fear and anger. The devil had me in a tailspin.
But then I stopped and snuck away to a quiet place and just hung out with God. I poured my heart out to Him and then sat quietly. After a few minutes, I felt His love wash over me, and I could sense Him smiling at me. I gave all my troubles and fears to Him and I felt so much better!
The Lord is indeed a hiding place, a place where He surrounds me with songs of deliverance.
Like David said:
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless (Psalm 84:10–11 NIV).
Don’t let life’s troubles and heartaches get you all upset and angry and confused. Before you do anything else, sneak away to your hidden cove with God and let Him soothe you with His feathers of love and deliverance!
MaryLu Tyndall