{"id":1438,"date":"2011-02-13T01:39:34","date_gmt":"2011-02-13T01:39:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2011\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-the-best-hiding-place-of-all.html"},"modified":"2011-02-13T01:39:34","modified_gmt":"2011-02-13T01:39:34","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-the-best-hiding-place-of-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-the-best-hiding-place-of-all.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling: The Best Hiding Place of All"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Best Hiding Place of All
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Psalm 32:1-11<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\nFor you are my hiding place;
\n     you protect me from trouble.
\n     You surround me with songs of victory.<\/p>\n

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Psalm 32:7<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\nWhen I was a boy, one of my favorite games was Hide and Seek. I learned
\nit by playing with my dad when I was about three years old. He’d count
\nto twenty and I’d find a place to hide, usually in a closet or behind a
\nsofa. Then he’d cry, “Ready or not, here I come!” My poor dad always
\nseemed to have the hardest time finding me, even when my feet stuck out
\nfrom beneath our living room curtain. Once he found me, it was my turn
\nto count while he would hide.<\/p>\n

\tAs I got older, I’d play Hide and Seek outside with my friends.
\nSometimes we’d even do it at night, turning our neighborhood into a
\ngiant, mysterious playground. I’m not sure all of our neighbors
\nappreciated this, but we had a blast. I especially loved finding just
\nthe perfect hiding place, one where I knew I’d be safe until the
\nvanquished seeker would finally call out, “Olly Olly Oxen free.”<\/p>\n

\tPsalm 32:7 identifies God as our hiding place: “For you are my
\nhiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of
\nvictory.” The Hebrew word seter<\/em>, translated here as “hiding
\nplace,” can refer literally to a secret location in which to conceal
\noneself. In 1 Samuel 19, for example, when King Saul sought to kill
\nDavid, Jonathan, Saul’s son and David’s friend, warned him, saying, “You
\nmust find a hiding place [seter<\/i>] out in the fields” (19:2).<\/p>\n

\tIn Psalm 32:7, God is a hiding place in that he protects us from
\ntrouble. He surrounds us with “songs of victory” or “songs of
\ndeliverance.” Thus, when we trust in the Lord, we can be reassured that
\nour lives are safe in his hands.<\/p>\n

\tThis does not mean, however, that we will never experience
\ndifficulties and challenges. But it does mean that when hard times come,
\nwe can have confidence that God is on our side, that our lives are
\nultimately secure in him. No matter what happens in this life, no matter
\nhow it seems that God has abandoned us, he is there nevertheless. The
\nmore we turn to him, the more we trust in him, the more we will live
\nsecurely, delighting in his presence and even shouting for joy (32:11).
\nHe is the best hiding place of all.<\/p>\n

\tQUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION:<\/strong> When have you
\nexperienced God as your hiding place? Have there been times in your life
\nwhen it has seemed as if God was not there for you? What did you do in
\nthese times? Do you need to entrust your life once again into the safety
\nof God’s unfailing love for you? <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\nPRAYER:<\/strong>
\nRock of Ages, cleft for me,
\nLet me hide myself in Thee;
\nLet the water and the blood,
\nFrom Thy wounded side which flowed,
\nBe of sin the double cure;
\nSave from wrath and make me pure.<\/p>\n

\tNot the labor of my hands
\nCan fulfill Thy law’s demands;
\nCould my zeal no respite know,
\nCould my tears forever flow,
\nAll for sin could not atone;
\nThou must save, and Thou alone.<\/p>\n

\tNothing in my hand I bring,
\nSimply to the cross I cling;
\nNaked, come to Thee for dress;
\nHelpless look to Thee for grace;
\nFoul, I to the fountain fly;
\nWash me, Savior, or I die.<\/p>\n

\tWhile I draw this fleeting breath,
\nWhen mine eyes shall close in death,
\nWhen I soar to worlds unknown,
\nSee Thee on Thy judgment throne,
\nRock of Ages, cleft for me,
\nLet me hide myself in Thee.<\/p>\n

“Rock of Ages” by August M. Toplady, 1776, public domain.<\/p>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

<\/a>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?  <\/p>\n

Here’s how . . . .<\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling: Everyday Conversations about Work, Life, and God <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>). You can read my Daily Reflections there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace. The High Calling<\/i> is associated with Laity Lodge, where I work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Best Hiding Place of All Psalm 32:1-11 For you are my hiding place;      you protect me from trouble.      You surround me with songs of victory. Psalm 32:7 When I was a boy, one of my favorite games was Hide and Seek. I learned it by playing with my dad when I was…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling: The Best Hiding Place of All - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1438"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1438\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}