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The Lord Keeps Us Hidden
Andrea Lende • December 12, 2020
Psalm 31:19-20
The Lord Keeps Us Hidden
You can also listen to the devotional and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/The-Lord-Keeps-Us-Hidden-ennjje
Psalm 31:19-20
“Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear, revere, and worship You, goodness which You have wrought for those who trust and take refuge in You before the sons of men!
“In the secret place of Your presence You hide them from the from the plots of men; You keep them secretly in Your pavilion from the strife of tongues.”
I am always encouraged by the words of King David.
He starts out with God’s goodness.
God is good.
There are times I wonder though.
I wonder if the Lord is punishing me for something I’ve done.
Sometimes when the circumstances around me become difficult, I wonder if it is the Lord.
However, I don’t think God is a God of punishment.
He sent His Son to cleanse us from our sins and relieve us from punishment.
The Lord isn’t part of this world in the sense that we are.
There are troubles and tribulations in every life and in a lot of days of that life
But His grace is what carries us through those troubles.
His grace is sufficient.
In II Corinthians 12:7 Paul said, “And to keep me from being puffed up and too much elated by the exceeding greatness of these revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted”.
This verse tells us the infirmity that Paul suffered with was from Satan, not the Lord.
The Lord’s response to Paul’s continued request for relief was, “My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you.”
So, grace, grace, and more grace.
We all need sufficient grace to walk through this life with whatever difficulties and hardships we have to endure.
Our second verse in the passage today, says the Lord hides us in the secret place of His presence.
There is no better place to be.
What we can experience of God’s fullness here on this earth is experienced in His presence.
David also writes the Lord keeps us protected and hidden from the plots against us.
We are wholly protected by the Lord.
No matter what the circumstances look like around us, we are protected.
I am thankful to have the Word to reference as the days and future look somehow bleaker and bleaker.
Today I choose to rest in the Lord knowing He is a good God, and He will protect me from the evil plots of others.
May you find the Lord hides you in His presence and keeps you from the enemies’ plots against you.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me of Your goodness. You are gracious and merciful all the time beyond what I deserve. Thank You, Lord, for hiding me. You hide my spirit from the enemy, so I am fully protected by You. I am able to stay in a place of peace knowing You will protect me from every evil plot against me. Thank You for hiding me in Your presence. There is no place I would rather be than in Your presence spending time with You. You keep me, Lord. I pray You will keep me Yours through all eternity. Thank You for choosing me to know You and showing me the way to You and Your presence. Your presence, Lord, is what I seek. Keep me Yours, Lord. Keep me Yours. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM watching over you, My child, and am hiding you from all harm as we commune with one another.
Response: Thank You, Almighty and gracious God, for spending time with me and watching over me.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.