My Perfect Hiding Place

C. Songs of deliverance

God sings songs of deliverance to those who hide in him. I remember my grandmother and mother with this verse. When I had a problem, or afraid, or made a huge mistake as a child, oftentimes I would cry terribly in their arms. Then, they would rub my back, hug me, and say comforting words—that everything would be okay. Then I would slowly stop crying and heave a sigh of relief. Then I would play again as if nothing happened. Mothers are really good at this. Fathers have a different approach sometimes: if our children are bullied, we say to them, “Stay here while I give a lesson to that bully!”

How sweet it is to know that when we run to and hide in God, he does not lecture us about our mistakes and sins! Earthly parents tend to blame their children. I think we should rather sing our castigations! But with God, he sings to us! Maybe a lullaby to calm us down. In Isaiah 40:9-11, it says that God tends his flock like a shepherd; he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart and gently leads them. He tells us, “Don’t worry about it, consider it solved and done; it’s difficult at the beginning, but you will rejoice in the end; or just stay still; the battle belongs to me, and we will win. God’s songs of deliverance are in the Bible. His promises are there. Read and meditate on them every day.

Part III. Lessons

A. First, when we hide in God, his protection extends to our loved ones. Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1). God protected David, his kingdom, and his descendants. I have benefited from the faith and service of my parents in the Lord. You know, I could have died when I was a little boy because accordingly I fell into a deep canal, but someone saw me and told my father about it, and without hesitation he jumped into the canal and found me and lifted me up from the black filth. It was God’s protection. My son Miego could have died or been injured because of a reckless driver, and partly because of my lack of foresight. I was not expecting that a vehicle would violate the speed limit inside the Provincial Capitol. But I saw with my eyes how God protected Miego. The vehicle was speeding fast, but the Lord stopped Miego at the right moment. One more step, and something bad would have happened. I lost all energy and braced for the worst. In my mind, I was only able to say “In Jesus Name” as I fell on the ground, covering my ears. When you hide in the Lord, he protects you, and he protects your family too. The coverage of the Lord’s protection is very wide. His blessings will last through generations.

B. Second, when we hide in the Lord, we should not resist anymore. Hiding in the Lord means submission and dependence. Before, I would take refuge in the Lord, but when I don’t like what he was planning to do or doing in my life, I fight back and resist. I would decide on my own based on emotions. I found no rest. Resisting defeats the idea of hiding in God because we would not find peace. Now, I would find the courage to say, God, you know what’s best. If you want to take it, do so. If it’s not for me, don’t allow it.