Hide and Seek
As a child I remember
playing the game, Hide and Seek. One
person was selected as the Seeker and the participants were the Hiders. The Seeker remained at “home base” facing the
opposite direction of the Hiders and had to count to a specific number (for
example 100) with his/her eyes closed to give the Hiders enough time to
hide. After counting, the Seeker would
yell “ready or not, here I come” and begin to look for the participants. The goal of the Hiders was to get back to
home base without being caught or tagged by the Seeker. However, if the Seeker found/caught a Hider,
the person caught was “It”. They would
switch roles and the game would proceed until we got tired of playing, someone
got mad and didn’t want to play anymore or it was time to go home.
While we are not playing
the game of life, it is important to understand that we are in the fight of and
for our very lives.
1 Timothy6:12 (NKJV): Fight the good fight of
faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have
confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Therefore we must have a hiding
place, not because we are afraid
1 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV): For God has not
given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Not
Ashamed of the Gospel
But for our sanity,
protection and to rest.
How many times have you
seen a movie with the enemies out in the open?
Never, unless they were in hand to hand combat, shooting at each other, it
was by accident or they were taking a chance to get from one point to another? Why is that?
Because if you’re out in the open, you can be captured (possibly
tortured), shot, blown up, severely wounded and/or give your position
away. However, if you are well hidden until
you are ready to move to the next position you can allude your enemy and if you
have planned it well enough, perhaps overtake the enemy with the element of surprise
as you launch the attack.
As Believers, I feel
confident in assuming that you realize the enemy is the devil – Satan – as well
as those who seek to cause us harm but the enemy can also be our own selves. Huh?
Have you ever heard of the term “self-sabotage”. Given the right circumstances we will
sabotage our own success through laziness, giving up, depression, oppression,
fear, blame, etc.
Where can I hide? Great question:
Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the secret place of the
Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Though this scripture is
short and concise I want to pick it apart by defining the majority of the words
in it:
· Dwell (Webster): to
live or stay as a permanent resident; reside; to live or continue in a given condition
or state.
· Secret (Webster): done, made, or conducted without the knowledge
of others; faithful or cautious in keeping confidential matters confidential; close-mouthed
· Most High (The Word)
o
Psalms 47:2: For the Lord
Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.
o Psalms 78:17:
But they sinned even more against Him By rebelling against the Most High in the
wilderness.
o Psalms 78:35:
Then they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their
Redeemer
o Psalms 113:4-5:
The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like
the Lord our God, Who dwells on high
· Abide (Webster): to remain; continue; stay
· Shall (Webster): plan to, intend to, or expect to: will have to, is determined
to, or definitely
will:
· Shadow (Webster): Shadow, protection
What is the secretplace? God.
Psalm 32:7: You are my hiding place; You shall preserve
me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah
Psalm 119:114: You are my hiding place
and my shield; I hope in Your word
How do I get there? By immersing yourself in the Bible, reading
it daily, sometimes multiple times a day, listening to it (CD, YouTube, iTunes,
etc.). But the preached Word is another
great way to get there using the exact resources above.
What do I read? Scriptures that pertain to your situation and/or
that offer comfort, hope, expectation, etc.
Don’t just read the Bible like it’s a story book. Read it with reverence, respect and the
expectation of understanding. If you get
stuck on a scripture, pray and ask God to help you understand it and define the
words that you are unsure of, as well as familiar words to get a better
understanding. Using a bible dictionary is
another way to get a better understanding.
There are many on-line resources that have bible dictionaries, study
topics, maps and commentaries (which offers comments and explanations on the
scriptures verse by verse). My favorite resources
are www.biblegateway.com and www.youversion.com. There is no excuse for a weak uninformed believer
today with all of the resources that we have at our finger tips. Sorry, but that’s real. It doesn’t take much thought to be ignorant,
just don’t do anything about anything and give up. Or you can dig your heels in deep and decide
that you’re gonna fight for ________ (you fill in the blank) or dye trying.
It’s also important for
you to commit the Word to memory. I hear
you, “but there are so many scriptures, which ones should I memorize? The ones that jump off the page (or screen)
at you. For example, you’re reading a
verse and it resonates with you, it causes you to react. That’s where you should start. Read it over and over and over or write/type
it over and over and then practice it. Repetition
is still the mother of all learning.
Let me tell you why this
is necessary. There will be times when
you need to hide right away. You won’t
have time to open your bible or log on to your smart device and hunt for a
scripture. However, if you know it “by
heart” you can say it quickly (out loud if it’s appropriate) and under your
breath if it’s not, guarantying your safe arrival to your hiding place.
Tan
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