My Hiding Place

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Hebrew Word of the Day Ezrach(Citizen) Hear Translation » May 2, 2012 "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." —Psalm 32:7 Maybe as a child you had a special place where you could go to be alone — a hiding place. Maybe it was a tree house, or a closet in your bedroom. Maybe it was even under your bed along with all the dust bunnies. Wherever it might have been, it was a place where you felt protected and safe. It was the place you would go after a spat with your best friend. Or when you were the victim of taunts on the playground. It was where you went when you got mad at your mom or dad. It was where you hid with your feelings of rejection, injustice, and pain. For many years, David roamed the rocky hills outside Ein Gedi and hid in numerous caves from the murderous intent of King Saul. It was his hiding place, where he felt safe and protected — at least until he had to move on to the next one. David knew that while the caves and hills provided a physical place to hide, it was only temporary. Ultimately, David knew that his true hiding place, the place where he would find complete protection and safekeeping, was with God. In Psalm 32, he writes, “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” It is a theme repeated throughout the psalms: “Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge’ (Psalm 16:1); “For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:5); and “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1), to mention a few. David knew that the true Source of his security was in God. Wherever he was, David was confident that God would provide him with comfort and courage to withstand whatever trials or circumstances he faced. And it was not a temporary place to hide, but “an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). We can be encouraged in our own difficulties, in those moments when we wish we could hide safely under the bed again, that God offers us that same place of protection, that same shelter, and that same help as He did for David. As we trust in Him and come to Him with our troubles, God promises to be our safe hiding place as well. With prayers for shalom, peace, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein President