May 3, 2004

THE HIDING PLACE

"A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, and a cover from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land" (Isaiah 32:2, NKJV).

If you have ever been through the ordeal of a scorching desert storm, you can better appreciate the comforting language of our text. Through the imagery of a desert storm, Isaiah portrays Christ as the Christian's hiding place.

In the desert regions of the Middle East, temperatures can climb to 125 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Few can resist the winds of a blinding sand storm. In such inhospitable weather conditions, a cave or canopy can provide welcome relief.

In a well-selected list of similes, Isaiah illustrates Christ's protection in difficult times. Christ is a secure hiding place for life's tempests. In that safe hiding place, Christ becomes a shelter from the scorching heat as well as a life-giving stream. There is no commodity so precious in a desert as water. In our desert storms, Christ is also a cooling shade and a rock of defense.

He is our hiding place from the winds of strife, our cover from the tempest, our defense against enemy attack, a cool shade in fiery trials, and our safeguard under all conditions. Jesus is as the "shadow of a great rock in a weary land" (Isaiah 32:2, NKJV). With such assurance, we can face today confidently. Remember, that "you are under the shelter of the sure refuge, under the cover of the atoning blood of the acceptable sacrifice."--Signs of the Times, April 9, 1894.

My Prayer Today: Lord, You have always been my secure hiding place. Help me to trust fully in Your protection. Amen.