For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found. Surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him. You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:6-7)
In the previous devotion we suggested that the times when God is nearest to us might be when we feel that we are the farthest from Him. When we feel lost, that is the time He may be found, assuming that our hearts are humbled and we desire to turn to Him. So it is important to remember, when we feel enveloped by the darkness, it is written that “He made darkness His secret place” (Psalm 18:11). In other words, when we don’t see Him, can’t feel Him and consider ourselves abandoned, He might be closer than He has ever been.
As we have worked our way through the psalms of David, it is abundantly clear to me that David was a man just like the rest of us, which is to say that there were times in his life when he was as vulnerable to his emotions as we are to ours. Yet we also see that David was a man who realized his hope and salvation was the LORD. Even when his enemies came in as a great flood, the LORD would not allow them to overtake His servant. Though surrounded by enemies and the proverbial darkness that accompanied them, the LORD was his hiding place — the shelter in which David was hidden from his enemies.
Now picture this: a young frightened child, afraid of the dark and what might be lurking in the shadows. Into this scenario comes the parent who quiets the child’s fears with words of encouragement and the promise that, as along as mom and dad are around, the child is perfectly safe. Finally, to soothe their anxiety, the parent sings them to sleep with a song — a lullaby if you will. I will suggest that this is pretty much the notion conveyed in David’s words when he said, “You are my hiding place … You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.”
Again, when we are feeling the most vulnerable is when the Father is the closest, there to shelter us and ready to assuage our fear and doubt. But have you ever considered that, in addition to these acts of goodness, He also sings over us? What a comforting thought; and to underscore the point, we’ll close with this promise given to His people:
“The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
Recent Comments