Hiding Places

When I was about sixteen, I remember counting the years I thought I had left, assuming I lived to a ripe, old age. Although not a very wise approach, it seemed to stave off my adolescent but persistent fears of death. Recently, a friend asked me to pray for her concerning her fear of death. It started me thinking once again about my own fears. I prayed for my friend, and during one of my devotions I read these comforting words, “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.” (Psalm 119:114).

Charles Bridges said of this scripture, “Here is our main principle of safety—not our strivings or our watchfulness, but our faith. Flee instantly to Jesus… [Who] exposed himself to the fury of ‘the tempest,’ that he might become a hiding place, for us.” What a powerful picture of the Gospel! Yet I confess that my attempt to apply the Gospel to my fears has not always been effective.

I recently read the book, "Running Scared", by Edward T. Welch. It’s a great book and one I recommend if you struggle with fear. I was reminded to dig down beneath the surface to see what might be at the root of my fears. Welch says, ‘Worry reveals our allegiances. Fear and worry are not mere emotions; they are expressions of what we hold dear. They reveal the loyalties of our hearts.”

Cravings for things such as money, relationships, reputation, even life itself (which in and of themselves are not wrong) can masquerade as fears and hunker down in our hearts. The Word says that our hearts are deceitful and full of buried motives discernible only to God. (Jeremiah 17:9). This is a picture of a different sort of hiding place, one we should expose— not keep covered! To do so, Welch calls the fearful believer to confession and repentance—the daily process of continuously turning toward God. As I pondered this in terms of specific application for me, I think it would mean growing in love for others more than anxiously grasping to satisfy my own needs and wants, praying more than reviewing my check book balance over and over, and resting more in His grace rather than “feeling overwhelmed” by my responsibilities, present or future. How about you? What do you fear? I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to pull back the veil of your heart and see what lies hidden there. Then flee to Jesus, your true hiding place. As you walk closer to Him in faithful obedience by the strength of the Spirit, that will take you farther and farther away from your fears.