By Pastor Don Schatz

Hiding in the Everlasting Arms

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You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Psalm 32:7 New International Version

August in Seattle brings the Sea Fair Festival, and that Festival brings the Blue Angels.  The flying artistry and demonstration of air power is breathtaking.  The sound is pretty cool too, especially when they fly right overhead.

Such displays are meant, among other things, to assure us that our military forces and weaponry are always vigilant.  We are protected as a nation.  We are safe.  One is filled with gratitude at the sight and sound.  Many people in our world cannot take such protection and safety for granted.King David of Israel did not have military aircraft to display.  He could not look to the sky and see evidence of protection and safety for himself and his nation.  ‘Shock and awe’ for him took the form of well-equipped soldiers and the ‘sound of freedom was the battle cry those soldiers would raise.  Even members of David’s own family had it out for him on occasion!

David turned to the Lord.  He literally hid in caves at times in his life.  But his real hiding place was the Lord.  He had a powerful army and weaponry for his day.  We know he himself was at least pretty good with a sling shot!  But the Lord God protected him from trouble.  He traded in his war cry for songs of deliverance.

Like David, we look to the Lord.  We call on him in any and all trouble, whether that ‘trouble’ comes from outside, or it is a troubled heart, mind and soul.  The Lord is our hiding place.  In his arms we are safe.  The Lord protects even us.  Even our cries of anguish, pain and rejection he replaces with songs of deliverance.  We Believe!  We trust!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado