Is hiding ever good? Is there a safe place to hide? - Hiding - TouchPoints

Is hiding ever good? Is there a safe place to hide?

Matthew 6:6But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Luke 5:16But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

Seeking solitude to spend time with God in prayer is a healthy kind of hiding. Jesus modeled this for us well.

Exodus 2:2-3The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River.

Joshua 6:17, 25The city and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies . . . So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day.

Jeremiah 36:26Then the king commanded his son Jerahmeel, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah. But the Lord had hidden them.

Mark 1:45But as the man went on his way, he spread the news, telling everyone what had happened to him. As a result, such crowds soon surrounded Jesus that he couldn’t enter a town anywhere publicly. He had to stay out in the secluded places, and people from everywhere came to him there.

The common thread in each of these hidings is God’s involvement in the plan. Our best example is Jesus, who by removing himself from the crowd actually became more available to the individuals willing to search for him. There is a time to remove ourselves from distractions so we can focus on essentials. There is a time to remove ourselves from daily routines so we can walk with God.

Psalm 119:114You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.

Psalm 27:5For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

Psalm 31:20You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.

Psalm 3:3But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts my head high.

Psalm 57:1Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until this violent storm is past.

Psalm 17:8Guard me as the apple of your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 32:7For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.

Psalm 46:1God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

Psalm 94:22But the Lord is my fortress; my God is a mighty rock where I can hide.

Psalm 143:9Save me from my enemies, Lord; I run to you to hide me.

Isaiah 51:16And I have put my words in your mouth and hidden you safely in my hand. I stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth. I am the one who says to Israel, ‘You are my people!’”

Psalm 27:5For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

Colossians 3:3For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

The safest place to hide is actually a person, not a place!