You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7
The Christmas season is often loud. There is the noise of frenzied crowds shopping, the joyful strands of Christmas music, the excitement of friends and family as they gather, and the squeals that emanate from children as they open their gifts on Christmas morning. It is a busy, though joyous season, that doesn’t afford much time for stillness and quiet.
Few are the moments of true silence. And yet, if most of us are honest, the silence disturbs us. Alone with ourselves and our thoughts, we can easily become intimidated. But it is these moments of Selah, or rest, where we pause and reflect on God’s presence, goodness, and grace in our lives, that seem to give us the strength to carry on and lead us to a deeper trust in our Savior.
David surely learned this lesson. His life was constantly on the go; not because he was busy, but for survival. Calamity was all around David. But there were moments, though few and far between, where David would rest. He would pause from the fray and seek God. As he did, he penned many beautiful psalms like the one above that reflect his trust in the Almighty. Looking back on his life, he discovered God to be both trustworthy and true, his strong tower and most of all his hiding place.
Have you ever seen little kids who are afraid? Where do they go? They run to a trusted parent or guardian for solace, or hide under the “safety” of their covers. What David describes here in this beautiful psalm is that God was his hiding place. He trusted God so much that when trouble struck or something gripped his heart with fear, he would run to the Father. Like a child under covers, David felt sure and secure wrapped in the presence of the Lord. God had proven Himself time and time again to come through, to provide, and to work all things for David’s good and God’s glory that it created an unwavering trust.
But David didn’t realize these truths in the middle of his fleeing and the chaos in his life. He realized these things in the silence, and we will too. It is in the silence that we can sense God’s closeness and more easily hear His whispering voice. Take a moment of Selah today and listen for the whisper of the Father.
By Sheila Rennau
