“You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance,” (Ps. 32:7, ESV).

There are times when we as Christians, caught in the midst of trouble, on account of the fallen world or our own making, long for a place of refuge, a fortress where we can be safe from the danger all around us. David certainly used words to express such thoughts during his life, with all of the perils he faced. However, in Psalm 32, David prays not for a mighty fortress, but for a hiding place. The sentiment is not so much a place of protection, but a place to hide from the pain and suffering that he sees all around.

We live in a world that is groaning under the effects of sin. Tornadoes and earthquakes, hurricanes and floods, abuse and neglect, anxiety and depression—these are all too common to the human experience. We know those who have endured the hardships of storms, both literal and figurative, and are looking for a place to hide from it all. Our Lord invites us to flee to Him when we are overcome by the pain and suffering we see and experience. He promises to be that hiding place from the world and to preserve us from the troubles that assail us. He even encourages us by surrounding us with shouts of deliverance.

During the Easter season, that’s what the Hymn of Praise, “This Is the Feast,” ultimately is for the people of God. It is a shout of God’s faithful deliverance for the Lamb who was slain, but also His promise that the sufferings we now endure are momentary, but the glory that will be revealed through Christ’s resurrection is eternal. The Divine Service provides us such a hiding place for a moment where we are encouraged before the Lord sends us back to the front lines.

There is a shift from Psalm 32:7 to the verse that follows. It changes from David speaking to God, to God speaking to David. Verse 8 contains words of promise for those who are living among so many perils, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” Our gracious God is not only a hiding place within the four walls of the church building —He also guides us and goes with us out into the world, always with His eye upon us.

Prayer - O God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us and Your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.