. . . whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises
. . . whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises
whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises
Psalm 32:7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
There are many scripture verses in the Bible that allude to the idea that the Lord is our hiding place, our refuge, our fortress, our high tower, our shelter, and other such analogies. And this is one of the great promises of the Bible for those who love the Lord. He is a place of safety and refuge.
But how does that become a reality in our lives? How do we enter into that hiding place that He has provided for us within Himself?
Notice that it is in times of trouble and adversity that we experience the Lord as our hiding place.
Psalm 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.
It is during those times, those difficult times, that He will hide us and shelter us. What is He hiding us from? The troubles and storms of life.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
The Bible tells us that the Lord is my refuge and a very present help in trouble. But again, how do we experience this truth? How do we enter the reality of it?
Psalm 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
I will say, He is my refuge; in Him will I trust. That says it all. I will declare Him to be my refuge, and I will trust in Him.
As with any Bible promise, the truth must go from being just a promise we read in the Bible to becoming God’s promise to us personally. The promises of God all belong to us, but they are not real to us until we take them by faith and make them our own.
The word “trust” in this verse means to have confidence in and to be secure in. The Wordbook of the Old Testament further defines the word “trust” to mean “to feel safe.”
The one who trusts the Lord is the one who has learned to allow himself to be secure in God, to have confidence in Him, and to feel safe in the knowledge of His faithfulness.
That’s where we enter into the hiding place, at the place where we are able to release our trust in Him. After all, what good is a promise if we don’t believe it?
Notice the word “trust” in the following verses of scripture.
Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
The Lord is my fortress . . . in whom I will trust. In other words, I will trust in Him, I will feel confident and safe in Him. Notice Psalm 61:2-4.
Psalm 61:2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed : lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
When do we allow ourselves to feel safe and secure in Him? We should, of course, trust Him at all times, but especially when our hearts are overwhelmed about something.
Psalm 61:3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
Psalm 61:4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.
In other words, I will abide in your wilderness tent always. I will feel confident and safe under the covering of your wings.
Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
This word “trusteth” here is the same word that means to have confidence in, to be secure in, and to feel safe in. blessed is the man who feels safe in the LORD, and whose unwavering confidence is in Him.
May we all learn to release complete trust in the Lord during trying and difficult times and discover His great faithfulness to deliver us and to be our help in our time of need.