Hide and Seek                      05-29-15

7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.
Psalms 32:7 (NASB)

Mine and Shelley's granddaughter, Maddie Grace, was at the house yesterday and as she was getting ready to leave, she wanted to play a quick game of hide and seek. So, without leaving my seat I told her to go hide and I would come find her....I lied. About every 10 seconds or so I would yell out "O.K. Maddie here I come!" It worked for a while but, eventually she wised up. After the 4th or 5th shoutout, she came walking disgustedly in the living room and declared that I wasn't even trying to find her. (smile)

I recounted that anecdote as a lead in to the message. I read the above verse in the Bible today and God spoke it to my heart. You know,there are times when there are no words...there are no gestures that will comfort or ease the heartache. Nothing anyone can say or do will numb that gnawing in our soul.The pain gets down into our insides and won't budge. You know what I'm talking about, don't you?

 When I pictured Maddie Grace running into the other room and hiding herself, it reminded me of  how we feel when we have been crushed by the circumstances of this life. We want to run to some place far from the madding crowd. We want to HIDE where no one can find us. Just to be left alone.

We don't want to talk to anyone. We don't want anyone around. PLEASE JUST  LEAVE ME ALONE!! You feelin' me here? Not only that, when, if ever, we get to that hiding place, the pain is so intense that we neither have the desire nor the will to talk to God or anyone else about our pain. We are empty and destitute, lacking the strength to continue. All in the world that we want is for the hurt to go away. WE NEED HELP. AMEN?!

That's what the Psalmist is talking about here, don't you think? A hiding place. A harbor that we can float face down into. To find relief for our souls. A place where we can fall into the arms of a loving God, and just curl up and go to sleep. A hiding place from the world.
  

2 From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Psalms 61:2 (NASB)

David described it like this. He made his bed to swim in his tears. No one has any comfort. No one has any encouragement. God says He can help. He's there for you and me in our distress. 

15 May the flood of water not overflow me Nor the deep swallow me up, Nor the pit shut its mouth on me.
16 Answer me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; According to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me, 17 And do not hide Your face from Your servant, For I am in distress; answer me quickly.
Psalms 69:15-17 (NASB)

God Bless