My Hiding Place

 

Two Americans who were crossing the Atlantic met on a Sunday night to sing hymns in the cabin. As they sang the hymn, "Jesus, Lover of my Soul," one of them heard an exceedingly rich and beautiful voice behind him. He looked around and although he did not know the face, he thought that he recognized the voice. So when the music ceased he turned around and asked the man if he had been in the Civil War. The man replied that he had been a Confederate soldier.

"Were you at such a place on such a night?" asked the first. "Yes," he said, "and a curious thing happened that night; this hymn recalled it to my mind. I was on sentry duty on the edge of a wood. It was a dark night and very cold and I was a little frightened because the enemy was supposed to be very near at hand. I felt very homesick and miserable and about midnight, when everything was very still, I thought that I would comfort myself by praying and singing a hymn.

I remember singing the hymn 'Jesus lover of my souls…All my trust on Thee is stayed, all my help from Thee I bring. Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of Thy wing.' "After I had sung those words a strange peace came down upon me and through the long night I remember having felt no more fear." "Now," said the other man, "listen to my story.

I was a Union soldier and was in the wood that night with a party of scouts. I saw you standing up, although I didn't see your face. My men had their rifles focused upon you waiting the word to fire, but when you sang out, 'cover my defenseless head with the shadow of your  wing.' I said, 'Boys, put down your rifles; we will go home.' I couldn't kill you after that."

Psalm 37 was written by David in his old age, after much observation of what goes on in life and after many years of experience. He draws conclusions and gives this advice to man. He says “do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like green plants they will soon die away vv.1-2. Do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes v.9. Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked v.17.

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him (vv.3-6). Do good, then you will dwell in the land forever v.27. Hope in the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land v.34.

Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field, they will go up in smoke v.20. Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed v.28.All sinners will be destroyed v.38. The wicked plot against the righteous v.12 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming v.13. The wicked draw the sword to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts v.15.

The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, intent on putting them to death;v.32 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked v.33. The Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones.v.28.The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care and their inheritance will endure forever v.18. In times of disaster they will not wither v.19. The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him v.23. 

David concludes  the Psalm with the words “Consider the blameless, a future awaits those who seek peace. But all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future for the wicked. The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him” (vv.37-40).

Five times in this psalm, David promised the people of God that they would inherit the land. Six times in the psalm, David reminds us that all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future for the wicked (Ps. 37:38). God created a world with great possibilities for joy and contentment, but there is always a choice in this life. Live God’s way and enjoy his approval or live a wicked life and find destruction.

The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble (Ps. 37:39). Salvation here means deliverance of every kind; not only the salvation which finally lands us in glory, but all the minor rescues of the way. These are all to be ascribed to the Lord. God’s people have times of trouble, but God is their strength in very peculiar ways in all such times.  The Lord helps them and delivers them because they take refuge in him (Ps. 37:40).

After David was anointed as King of Israel, he lived as a fugitive for many years. He lost his comfort, safety, family, career and at times he even lost his close relationship with God. Despite all this, he remained steadfast to the Lord.  In Psalm 57: 6-7 he says “they spread a net for my feet, I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path but they have fallen into it themselves. My heart, O God, is  steadfast , my heart is steadfast ; I will sing and make music .

God, in his timing, delivered David and fulfilled the promise of making him king. In Psalm 18 David says “I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies (Ps.18:1-3).

David speaks about his God and what God has done for him. He says, “I will love You” to the God who delivered him, not only for rescuing him from his trial, but for all God did in and through the trials to make him what he was. David was not bitter with God; instead he was grateful that the years of trouble had done something good and necessary in his life. In nine titles, he describes what God was for him.

Taking refuge in a person is putting trust in him or fleeing to him for protection. Some of the most expressive illustrations of the divine love and care employed in the Bible are taken from the ways of birds. This beautiful figure of a bird sheltering her young under her wings runs through the Scriptures as a picture of God's sheltering love. In Psalm 36:7 the image is expressed in words of great beauty: "How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!  People take refuge in the shadow of your wings!"

 In Matthew 23:37 Jesus said ““Jerusalem, Jerusalem… how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings and you were not  willing. Boaz welcomed Ruth from her heathen land to the land of Israel  with these words " the Lord recompense your work and a full reward be given to you of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to trust (Ruth 2:12).

In Psalm 57:1 David says, "have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. In Psalm 17: 6-9 David prays “I call on you, my God, for you will answer me…Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who are out to destroy me”.

In Psalm 91 we have this wonderful promise “whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my  fortress , in whom i trust ."Surely he will save you from the fowler's  snare and from deadly pestilence . He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings  you will find refuge ; his faithfulness  will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the  darkness , nor the plagues that destroy at midday. If you say "The Lord is my refuge" and you make the most high your dwelling , no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent . "Because he loves me " says the Lord,, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name”.

 There is a sense in which a faithful human being is a refuge. But the best human refuges are only frail and temporary. You turn some day for shelter and find your refuge gone. When danger comes and you want to fly to him, he is not there and you are left to fall. Human refuges are well in their place, as gifts of God, as shelters for a season; but you need to have God for your refuge! Then you will never find your hiding place removed, when you need to flee into it.

In any hour you can creep into that shelter, and say” you are my hiding place, you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7). Psalm 46:1 says "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 118:8-9 says “It is better to take refuge in the  Lord than to trust in humans. Its better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes".  And when we take refuge in God , it is not with the mindset of "I hope he will protect me but it is with complete confidence that he will do so!