“You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. SELAH”
(Psalm 32:7)
As a young Christian I learned this verse through a song we sang during praise and worship. These are the words we sang:
Thou art my hiding place;
Thou art my hiding place;
Thou shalt preserve me from trouble.
Thou shalt compass me about, with songs of deliverance.
In times I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.
I exalt Thee. I exalt Thee.
I exalt Thee, O Lord.
I exalt Thee, I exalt Thee.
I exalt Thee, O Lord.
For Thou O Lord, art high above all the earth,
Thou art exalted far above all gods.
For Thou O Lord, art high above all the earth,
Thou art exalted far above all gods.
This is actually a combination of two songs that we placed together. I vividly remember the feelings of comfort as we sang these songs. My heart joined with my Father’s and I experienced the peace of His Presence in a powerful way.
That is my prayer for you, today.
As you struggle for security, long for provision or solace – the Lord your God is your hiding place. Several cross references took me to verses referring to the Israelites hiding in the clefts of the rocks during battles. Clefts are like indentations along the rock cliffs of barren landscapes. They provide secrecy and refuge from someone engaged with the enemy.
Who is the Rock of our salvation? Jesus!
He is the Rock that is higher than I. (Psalm 61:2)
The Lord is my Rock! (2 Samuel 22:2)
For You, Lord, are my Rock. (Psalm 31:3)
Can you picture yourself fleeing from your enemy? You can see the mountain ahead of you. You know that if you can only reach the mountain, you will be safe, for that is the mountain of the Lord. You call out your Father’s name as you run. Reaching the mountain, your enemy is in hot pursuit. You begin to climb. And climb. With all your might you get your footing and reach your hand heavenward, grasping for a stronghold – something, anything to get you beyond the enemy’s reach.
And then suddenly – beautifully – lovingly – the Father reaches down from the mountaintop, taking your hand in His. He raises you up to His secret hiding place – a cleft in the Rock that only His children can know about. Hiding there in the shadows, with only the Light of His love to comfort you, you are safe. The enemy passes you by.
2 Samuel 22:47 reads, “The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let God be exalted, the Rock of my salvation!”
Indeed. Blessed be the Rock!
Father, You are so awesome! I love the imagery this scripture evokes. Your strength is so comforting to me. Indeed, You are my hiding place. What a wonderful thought! Thank You Father. I exalt You, Lord.
Amen! Blessed be the Rock!
Shivers and tears, Nan! That song is one of my very favorite…and I can hardly get through it without crying, arms raised…singing the rest with my whole heart! You should read my blog post One in the Spirit (midspoint.com)Not entirely the same, but sooo similar! I love how God is forging our friendship!!
LOVE YOU!
A beautiful song and great verses too! Right now that image of Jesus the Hiding Place really speaks to my heart. I certainly need to be in His presence. I feel like a small child facing great challenges. But more than ever, I KNOW whom I have believed!
Vonda, Rock of ages, cleft for me. Let me hide myself in Thee!! So very thankful…
Mid, I will venture over to your site later today or tomorrow to read "One in the Spirit". I, too, have shed many a tear singing "My Hiding Place". Love, love, love it!
Carina, The greatest wisdom from above is to KNOW the One in Whom you have believed! You are precious to Him. Take each day at a time, each step at a time and He will lead you. I received your email. Will reply soon. My daughter has been very sick and have been caring for her. Bless you!