My Refuge & Hiding Place

Hide and Seek

1.When I was a child I enjoyed playing the games. (Catch, Throwing things, Wrestling, etc)

2. One I enjoyed a lot was, “Hide and seek”.

3. Hide and seek for adults?

4. Don’t we all need a place to hide?

5. Where do we go when we need to escape? (Alcohol, drugs, vacation, spree?)

GOD IS SPOKEN OF SEVEN TIMES IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS AS A HIDING PLACE.

Ps.17:8 Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

Ps.27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

Ps.31:20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

Ps.32:7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

Ps.91:1 HE that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Ps.119:114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.

Ps.143:9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

That David made these statements seems kind of odd because he was a real man of war!!! (Goliath, etc)

God trained him in the arts of war!!! (David must have been the first master of Krav Maga, the Israeli martial art form)

Ps 18:34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

Ps 144:1 Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:

David’s needed a hiding place and his was God!!! (a Sure Refuge, Rock, Fortress, etc.)

What do you do when you are in trouble? Where do you go???

• Physical problem? (health / finances)

• Mental problem?

• Spiritual problem?

Searching for a “hiding place” presupposes at least one of the following concepts:

1- Afraid. (Even Groundless Fear is Still Painful.) [Chris, Andrew & April)

2- Danger. (Self- Sin And Foes)

David’s search for a hiding place was serious businesss,

• Saul

• Absalom

3- Inability To Defend Or Overcome Without Help.

4- Foresight That Sees The Storm Coming And Looks For Safety.

5- Prudence To Hide Before The Storm.

And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? Gen3:9 (KJV)

• I invite you to play a game of “Hide and Seek” with me tonight. (1-5?)

• The difference is that we aren’t going to hide from each other or seek each other, we are going to seek the Lord. (Hide and seek God!!!!! In a crowd!!!)