Who Do You Think I Am? - Our Hiding Place

Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. - Psalm 32:7

When I pondered what it means that God is my hiding place, I immediately thought of this story by an unknown author I read just a couple of days ago.

A young soldier found himself in a heated battle during the Scottish Reformation. The enemy was defeating this young man's army. He and his comrades hastily retreated from the battlefield in defeat, running away in fear of their lives. The enemy gave chase. This young man ran hard and fast, full of fear and desperation, soon found himself cut off from his comrades in arms.

He eventually came upon a rocky ledge containing a cave. Knowing the enemy was close behind, and that he was exhausted from the chase, chose to hide there. After he crawled in, he fell on his face in the darkness, desperately crying to God to save him and protect him from his enemies. He also made a bargain with God. He promised that if God saved him, he would serve Him for the rest of his days.

When he looked up from his despairing plea for help, he saw a spider weaving its web at the entrance to the cave. As he watched the delicate threads being drawn across the mouth of the cave, the young soldier pondered its irony. He thought, "I asked God for protection and deliverance, and he sent me a spider instead. How can a spider save me?"

His heart was hardened, knowing the enemy would soon discover his hiding place and kill him.

And soon he heard the sound of his enemies, who were now scouring the area looking for those in hiding. One soldier with a gun slowly walked up to the cave's entrance. As the young man crouched in the darkness, hoping to surprise the enemy in a last-minute desperate attempt to save his own life, he felt his heart pounding wildly out of control.

As the enemy cautiously moved forward to enter the cave, he came upon the spider's web, which by now stretched completely across the opening. He backed away and called out to a comrade, "There can't be anyone in here. They would have had to break this spider's web to enter the cave. Let's move on."

Years later, this young man, who made good his promise by becoming a preacher and evangelist, wrote about that ordeal. He wrote:

"Where God is, a spider's web is as a stone wall. Where God is not, a stone wall is as a spider's web."

I have no idea if this is a true story, but I see no reason it couldn't be.  My God is a God of miracles.  David understood what it was like to be on the run, fearful of losing his life, but he also knew what it was like to find peace knowing that God was his hiding place.  A place of shelter, refuge and protection.  A secret place known only to those who know how to find Him.  Impenetrable to the enemy.  Hidden from the eyes of the prowling foe.  A place to rest and regain strength for the continuation of the race.  Yes, God is our hiding place, and we can find shelter in Him today as long as we are running to Him and not away from Him.