The Hiding Place

The Hiding Place For many folks, the above title brings to mind the great book by Corrie Ten Boom. However, for me, it describes where I have been recently. God has brought me to a very obscure place to learn of Him and experience His presence. In this wonderful place I find peace, rest, and restoration in my spirit, soul, and body. The Psalmist speaks of such a place: “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:5). From both a spiritual and natural point of view, God desires to hide us in His pavilion. My personal “hiding place” just happens to also be a high place atop our apartment. It is here, in my “cave,” that I am able to spend precious times alone with the Lord while meditating upon Him and His Word. Thus, tremendous rest and fresh revelation are experienced. We believers seem to go through various quandaries at times. On one hand we are called to mature, while at the same time we must “come as a child.” Perhaps God wants us to become more childlike the older we get. I speak of the simplicity of faith and humility. As the Lord brings me to this place of hiding and obscurity, there is a deeper sense of appreciation and gratitude for what Christ has done. There is open communication and dialogue as I both speak and listen to the Spirit. Never have I valued the divine indwelling so much as now and at this present stage of life. As I stand on the rooftop patio of our home, I view the beauty of God’s creation: ocean, mountains, birds, and palm trees. Yet, even this pales when I consider how that Christ has sent His Spirit to abide in us. Friends, it is so easy to neglect, even ignore, this most precious gift. God of creation has chosen to make mankind His dwelling place on the earth. He abides in us, and we abide in Him. May we consider the words of Paul: “For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring’” (Acts 17:28). May we come to fully understand that in and of ourselves we can do nothing, and there is nothing of eternal value. Yet, because we abide in Christ, and He in us, we are filled with divine heavenly treasure. Jesus, Himself stated: “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30). “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Just as Christ maintained a constant relationship and communication with the Father, we can as well. He said and did what He heard and saw . . . for His life was solely dependent upon His Father. Are we greater than He? I have come to love and value a life of obscurity where I can truly experience the presence of the Lord. “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah” (Psalm 32:7). Grace & Peace, pg

Faith, Hope, Love

Faith, Hope, and Love "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13). As we continue to examine some of the characteristics of a disciple of Christ, let’s next consider the three found in the verse above. To be sure, each is essential to our success. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is a vital part of the Christian journey and cannot be overstated. True faith is unwavering and keeps us from being “tossed to and fro” throughout the adventures of life. We cannot even be saved without faith! "For by grace you have been saved through faith . . . " (Ephesians 2:8). Faith is the channel through which grace flows. It is what gives us the ability to stand (2 Corinthians 1:24) regardless of what is happening around us. The voice of faith leads the believer to do what may seem impossible in a world of chaos and sin. Faith follows even when it does not understand and is unable to see or know where it leads. So much could be written about the topic of faith that I will not even attempt to wax long. What is relative to this discourse is how faith, hope, and love are intricately woven together. Faith says and does something; hope feels something; love unites the two in order to accomplish the will of God. Hope is the anchor of our soul (mind, will, emotions) and without an anchor, we are prone to wander aimlessly through life. However, hope is also fundamental to faith. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). It is clearly evident that without hope it is impossible to have faith; without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). As God spoke the light into existence, He did so full of faith. The Lord knew that darkness would be overcome when He spoke. The same is true regarding all that He has created. When faith speaks things happen, whether or not the result is immediately visible to the human eye. Jesus made reference to this “God-kind” of faith in Mark 11:22. A correct interpretation of the verse would read: “Have faith of God.” It is one thing to say we have faith in God; it is quite another to have the faith of God. And what is it that motivates this quality of faith? The Apostle Paul wrote of faith that works by or through love. Consider: the one motivation we see demonstrated by God is that of love. This is the reason behind the original creation and is the whole reason that God sent His Son to redeem and restore what had been lost through the sin of man (John 3:16). Love is the driving force behind everything God does. Even His chastening is the result of His great love. Now we see how these three—faith, hope, and love—are pillars of Christianity. Without hope we cannot have faith. Without faith we cannot please God. The love of God is the motivation that drives faith. One more point: God does not leave us relying on our own ability to love. Rather, He sent His Spirit to fill our lives and pour His love into our hearts. "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:5). Grace & Peace, pg