Thursday, July 11, 2024

          Psalm 64 is called “a psalm of David.”  We believe this former king wrote these words by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  Some people believe that David may have written this psalm as a hymn or a song that Israel would have sung in worship as a praise to the Lord. The first two verses form a beautiful prayer that we could offer to the Lord today.  We read, “Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy. Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the plots of evildoers” (Psalm 64:1-2).  Our attention is drawn to two quick pleas that David wrote—hear me and hide me.  Two short but powerful pleas.  We want the Lord to hear us when we pray.  But we also trust that the Lord will hide us.
            We pray so the Lord will hear our petitions and praises.  We want the Lord to hear the cries of our heart and the celebrations of life.  We pray so we can keep the lines of communication with the Lord open, clear and dynamic.  We take great comfort and confidence in knowing that the Lord hears us.  Our prayers, offered in the name of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, land in the hands, ears and heart of the Father.  What a joy to know and trust this good news!
            We pray so the Lord will hide us.  We want the Lord to hide us safely in His care and away from sin and the lures of sin.  Psalm 91:1 reminds us, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”  God Himself is our shield, fortress and hiding place.  In an old hymn, we sing “he hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock.  He hideth my life in the depths of His love.”  To be hidden with God is a wonderful place to be.  David knew this.  God hid David from Saul and his murderous threats.  Even before Saul, the Lord had safely hidden David under His protection when this shepherd boy stepped up to fight Goliath.
            Today we trust that God hides us in His grace.  We take comfort in knowing that God can hide us in His peace—a peace that transcends or surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).  Our lives—present and future—are safely hidden with the Lord and free from Satan’s command and control.  We are thankful that eternity is safely hidden under God’s protection and watch.  Near the end of Psalm 64, David wrote, “The righteous will rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in Him; all the upright in heart will glory in Him” (Psalm 64:10). 
            When we know that God both hears and hides, our prayer life is inspired and enlivened by these realities.  We can face the trials and tests of life with greater confidence and renewed hope.  God is unchanging—the same yesterday, today and forever.  The God who loved, heard and hid David is the same One who loves, hears and hides us too!  We hope to see you Sunday as we gather to worship the Lord.  We look forward to a baptism in worship.  Sports Camp Plus starts Monday morning!  Bible study is Sunday at 9:45am followed by worship at 10:55am.  Have a great day!