S8P6 – The journey of Psalm 143: the sanctuary
Psalm 143:9
Rescue me from my enemies, Lord, for I hide myself in you.
Hiding in God is no cowardly act. It is a reliance on His promise to never abandon us. [Heb. 13:5-6] We do not hide out of fear, because the Lord does not give us a spirit of fear. [2 Tim. 1:7; 1 John 4:18] God’s love comes with confidence and power. When we hide in God, we make a declaration that we trust Him to deliver us from our enemies. This is an act of faith through which we admit that God’s way is better than ours.
It takes faith to hide in God, because He does not necessarily work things out the way we think He should. My idea of deliverance from my enemies may not be the same as His. In my personal walk, I can attest to God’s timing being nothing like mine. For me, hiding in God becomes a journey of developing patience. Resting in the sanctuary that God provides is an exercise of faith and a further development of faith. And when we put our protection in the hands of God, then only He can receive the glory when we are delivered.
David knew that he could run and hide from his enemies all he wanted, but only God could provide a guarantee of deliverance. Of course, we cannot decide how that deliverance will look. We can simply trust that God will be right and just in how He delivers us. Father, teach us to remain hidden in You always, so that we are ever-exercising our trust in Your protection through all trials.