Maneuvers - No. 39
Your Hiding Place
in the Chaos
In this world we live in, full of chaos and pain, we all crave peace, don’t we?
How could we not? We’re constantly bombarded with the buzz of our fast-paced culture—from social media to traffic to work to bills—as well as temptations and sufferings. (And none of us are immune to those, are we?)
How does all that noise and pain affect our hearts? Does it weigh us down, more and more, until we feel empty? Crushed into submission by life’s unkindness?
Friend, if you’ve been feeling worn out by the world’s noise, pain, and deceptions, you’re not alone.
And while it may be easy for us to feel alone in that place, the truth is that Jesus is here with us. Even in the noise. Even in the pain. Even in the temptation. He hasn’t abandoned us—and he won’t.
Instead, he loves to heal us, hold us, remind us that there is still good in this world. There are good things for us to experience with him. Evil won’t triumph, even when it looks like it has.
Could it be that, in order to believe this truth, we need a hiding place? Somewhere we can block out the world’s incessant pressure and just rest in God’s presence?
Friend, Jesus is our hiding place. He’s the safe place in the middle of our war. He’s the tender-hearted friend we’ve always wanted but have never perfectly found in another person.
And his arms are open. Today, we invite you to join us as we lean into those arms, listening to his heartbeat and to the message he has for us. Let’s listen together…
01.
The Message
“I want you to go deeper with me, into me. I want to show you the place where you belong, the place where you have always known but forgotten. I want to show you the way home. I am here, with a map. I am here, with a hand. I am here, with a chest to lean against. I am here, with love that moves the oceans, blows the wind, makes the flowers grow. I am here, with a capacity to love you like no one has. I am the voice you've always known. I am the family you are meant to have. I am the friend you deserve. I am the hiding place that keeps you safe.
“In the warzone of the world where you live, in the noise and stress, in the temptations and deceptions, I bring you lasting peace. I bring you lasting hope.
“What is it you think you need most now? What is it your heart craves? What is it you run to? What is it you would give anything to find?
“Do you want what I have to give? Do you know the ache of your beating heart? Do you know the rhythm of longing and the music within you I have given you to sing? The pain you feel now is temporary. The memories of hurt remain, I know, but give them to me. Let me show you how I love you. Let me show you how I don’t want you to suffer. Let me show this: despite all the bad things that have happened, you are okay.
“Let me measure your life rather than you. Let me decide what is good and what is bad. Let me lift your head and show you my face. I hold your face in my hands now, dear one. Come, come to receive what I have. Come to the place where you are restored and healed. Come to these arms and stay. I miss you when you leave. You are the one I want to stay.”
02.
Listen
Let’s meditate for a moment on Holy Spirit’s question: “Do you want what I have to give you? Do you know the ache of your beating heart?”
After we take some time to think through these questions, let’s share our answers with the Lord in the form of a written prayer.
03.
Think
“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7, NIV).
1. What’s weighing your heart down? What outside pressure, past hurts, and present temptations are pulling your gaze away from Jesus?
2. What is it that you're really longing for? Is it peace? Refuge? Protection? Healing? Write down your answer.
3. Now, what are you turning to in order to satisfy that longing? What are you filling your life with to get peace, even if it’s only temporary?
4. How does Jesus want to satisfy your heart’s craving? Let’s turn to God’s Word and open our hearts to hear Holy Spirit’s voice as we each answer this question.
04.
Trust
Did you ever play hide-and-seek as a child, friend? One person closes their eyes and counts while everyone else scatters across the house, desperately looking for the perfect hiding spot, somewhere the seeker won’t find them.
Some of us weren’t so great at that game. Instead of nabbing the “perfect hiding spot,” maybe we settled for ducking behind the couch or a dining room chair.
Then there were the kids who always seemed to find the best hiding places. The spots where no one could find them no matter how long the search lasted.
That’s the kind of hiding place Jesus is for us, friend. Let’s return to this week’s message:
“I am the hiding place that keeps you safe. In the warzone of the world where you live, in the noise and stress, in the temptations and deceptions, I bring you lasting peace. I bring you lasting hope.”
Do Holy Spirit’s words remind you of Psalm 32:7? We love how the Passion Translation phrases that passage:
“Lord, you are my secret hiding place, protecting me from these troubles, surrounding me with songs of gladness! Your joyous shouts of rescue release my breakthrough.”
Did you know that the Hebrew word for “hiding place” in this passage is cether? In the Old Testament, that words means:
• A covering
• A hiding place
• Secrecy
• Protection
• Privacy
What do those words speak to you about your relationship with Jesus? How do they impact the way you view him as your hiding place?
In that private, secret place with Jesus, we can simply be with him, heal with him, and enjoy peace with him. It’s a place where no enemy can find us. No lie can deceive us. No guilt or fear can torment us.
So let’s take some time and enjoy our hiding place in Jesus. Will you join us in prayer?
05.
Pray
Jesus, thank you for being my hiding place and for singing songs of victory over me. Your presence heals me and gives me so much peace… the peace I crave every day. Really, what I crave is being with you.
I open my heart to you, Lord. Work in me to replace lies with truth and to see the world through your eyes. Heal my heart from this world’s constant pressures and hurts.
I need you every day. Every hour. You’re my everything. I love you so much.
In your name, amen.
Waving the banner with you,
