Hear Me, Hold Me, Hide Me
Today I’m going to share with you a devotional thought from a man I consider to have been one of the great preachers of our time. “Warren Wiersbe was a Pastor, teacher, and a prolific writer of Christian Literature.” Source: Wikipedia.org. I have been blessed because I was able to hear him preach in person a couple times. Once while I was in college, and in more recent years, he was a guest speaker at our church. His commentaries are readily available online. His most popular books are his “Be” series, and I have a few of them on my bookshelf. J This is taken from a public domain website. Sermonindex.net
Read Psalm 17: 1-15
Here is Psalm 17:1-8
“Hear a just cause O Lord, attend to my cry; Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from Your presence; Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.
You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. Concerning the works of men, by the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the path of the destroyer. Uphold my steps in Your paths, That my footsteps may not slip.
I have called upon You, for You will hear me O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech. Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings.” NKJV
“Three words summarize David’s cry in Psalm 17. The first word is hear. “Hear a just cause, O Lord, attend to my cry” (v.1). David was saying, “I want the Lord to hear me, because my heart is right” (v.3). The dark times of life are when God proves us. He also proves Himself to us—if we let Him. When you’re going through the darkness, when the night has come, when you can’t see any light, remember, He is proving you and proving Himself to you. God knew that David’s heart was right. “Hear a just cause, O Lord” (v.1). Remember, when you’re in the darkness, when you’re in danger, when you’re facing difficulties, God will hear you.
The second key word is hold. “Uphold my steps in your paths, that my footsteps may not slip” (v.5). David wasn’t simply standing still, doing nothing. He was on the move. When we’re in the darkness, we move one step at a time as the Lord directs us. We don’t just sit still and wonder what will happen next. David was saying, “God, I’m going to get moving. You’ve got to hold me up. Direct me; I don’t want to slip and fall.” Jude must have known this verse. He wrote, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 1:24).
The third word is hide. “Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings” (Ps 17:8). A shadow is not good protection. But if it’s the shadow of God’s wings, we can depend on it. What wings did David refer to? The wings of the cherubim in the Holy of Holies. David was saying, “I’m coming to the very throne of God. Please hide me and hold me and hear me.” God replied, “David I’ll do it. I’m going to carry you through your dark time.”
Everyone must face dark times. God allows times of testing because He uses them to accomplish His purposes. Are you facing a difficulty today? Remember, God is faithful. He will hear you and direct you through the darkness. Let Him prove you, and give Him opportunity to prove Himself to you.”
Our Nation, our world is definitely in the midst of dark times. Will life ever be the same again? Many of us wonder…. God hears, us, holds each of us (and the future), and He hides us. Remember the story of God hiding Moses in the cleft of the rock as He passed by? He will do the same for us. (Exodus 33.)
God Bless You, my Friends, as you continue to follow Jesus, and walk in His ways.
Mountain Rose
Be blessed,
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