Hidden Hope
You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word. Psalm 119:114 NASB
Wait for – Once more David opens the line with a samech. Here the first word of the verse is sitri’ – “hiding place, covering, protection.” The verb in translation (“are”) is implied, not expressed. The idea that God Himself is a hiding place, a place of protection and security, is expressed in Zephaniah 2:3, Psalm 17:8; 27:5 and 31:20. The crucial distinction is this: No true hiding place, no true security exists outside of or apart from the Lord. David certainly believes this to be true.
But do we? To answer this question, we must examine the parallel Hebraic thought in the second strophe of this verse. The behavioral equivalent of acknowledging the protection and the security of YHWH is waiting for His word.
The Hebrew verb is a familiar one. Yahal means not only “to wait” but also “to hope.” This is why the Hebraic idea of waiting carries a sense of expectant anticipation, not stagnant reclining. To wait for God’s word is to sit on the edge of the chair, leaning forward, straining to catch even the tiniest whisper. It is an attitude of immediacy, a trust that the turning point will suddenly arrive. It is to know the God of surprises. We do not “wait upon the Lord” in repose. We do not gather ourselves to comfort and sleep until the messenger bangs on the door. Yahal is waiting that can’t wait!
Examine yourself! Are you acting according to God’s promise of security. How do you do that? By asking if you are chomping at the bit to see Him act on your behalf. By asking if you just can’t sit still in anticipation of His intervention. By taking stock of your actual behavior when it comes to waiting. If you believe in the security of the presence of YHWH, then you are on the edge, straining to see Him, to hear Him. If you are resolved in your present circumstances, disheartened and disconsolate, sleeping until the new light of dawn finally awakens you, then you don’t understand yahal and you don’t know the hiding place in God.
“Don’t wait!” is a translated Hebrew oxymoron. In Hebrew, that is precisely what you must do. Wait! Don’t be passive about it. To wait on the Lord is to risk everything else.
Topical Index: wait, yahal, safety, hiding place, protection, Psalm 119:114
This is the kind of wait that isn’t a brother to worry or fret. I think it’s the kind that has that deep seated peace in its very core. I didn’t ever know what the Hebraic word or thought was but I have sure walked it out through trail and becoming intimately involved with my Messiah.
Yes, that’s right. Waiting with expectation and confidence.
““Don’t wait!” is a translated Hebrew oxymoron.” Love that 🙂
Great Expectations
~ in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began ~ (Titus 1.2)
Thou art my hiding-place and my shield: I hope in Thy word.
You are my secret place and my breastplate against danger; my hope is in Your word.
You are my shelter and my shield— I wait for Your promise.
You are my hiding-place and shield; I put my hope in Your word.
Thou art my helper and my protector: and in Thy word I have greatly hoped.
You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.
You are my hiding place and my shield. My hope is based on Your word.
You are my defender and protector; I put my hope in Your promise.
You are my hiding place and my shield. I hope in Your word.
You are my place of safety. You are like a shield that keeps me safe. I have put my hope in Your word.
You are my refuge and my shield; Your word is my only source of hope.
You’re my place of quiet retreat; I wait for Your word to renew me.
(Psalm 119.114)
And this is the promise that He has promised us, even eternal life. (1 John 2:25)
How old and yet how new are these words:
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
Unto you,who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.
Fear not, I AM with thee, – O be not dismayed,
For I AM thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My Sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
– I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.
~ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” ~ (Jeremiah 29:11)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E
“I” had to wait 37 years to discover “I” wasn’t
the source of my strength and security.
“I” was a hard nut to crack!
Today, “HE” goes before me to make the crooked places straight.
“I” can’t wait to see what “HE’s” up to next!!!
A god without surprises is boring. A god without adventure is pointless.
THIS is how YHVH showed Himself to me, a very young child “back in the day” in that house full of violence with screwball parents. THIS is how I lived: not only “to wait” but also “to hope.” … a sense of expectant anticipation, not stagnant reclining. To wait for God’s word is to sit on the edge of the chair, leaning forward, straining to catch even the tiniest whisper. It is an attitude of immediacy, a trust that the turning point will suddenly arrive. It is to know the God of surprises.
It is always so exciting to me when I KNOW THE EXPERIENCE that I had with my YHVH when I didn’t know there was a love letter written in His Hand… and then TO SEE IT IN PRINT years later! Wow.
Know that YHVH isn’t limited… by anything. If a heart is fresh, open, crying for a Redeemer, HE WILL SHOW UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He doesn’t need a seminary preacher, a missionary, some “expert” or even the Word in written form: HE IS THE WORD and He will reveal Himself in whatever path you make available to Him. Sometimes, He’ll even plow through on His own … He loves us that much!
Thank you, Skip, for this penetrating love message which you picked this day to illuminate!
Daria, I WAS/AM so moved by your written words above; first your setting of the life you were born into, down through the last big paragraph written so well. My life was so different, I had a very stable family with God’s Word appreciated and well taught to me; always went to church on Sunday, if possible, but it was the Depression and Dust Bowl years– life was very hard, and we lacked so much. I was among thousands of other babies and young children ill a great deal. The lack of medicine, medical help was almost zero. My mother told me that I often turned black and blue from lack of being able to breathe ( probably dust pneumonia-but no doctor available-no drugs of any kind); however, they did have some flannel cloth that they soaked in kerosene, and wrapped around our chest and throats. Later some of the menthol type salves were used to replace the kerosene-that was used to cook with in a stove.
The houses were so poorly constructed that my husband’s family used newspapers to nail over the walls. With far more children than in mine; they did not have enough beds, so they just put whatever covers available on the small floor area and the larger boys slept on the outside. The center ones had no control over the covers, and since they were smaller the cold air rushed in around them. Of course it goes on and on.
But the Good News is what you wrote above! So true : YHVH isn’t limited by anything! If a heart is fresh, open & crying for a Redeemer, HE will show up! —- HE IS THE LIVING WORD, AND HE WILL REVEAL HIMSELF IN WHATEVER PATH YOU MAKE AVAILABLE TO HIM.— He will even plow through on His own–He loves us that much!”
It may not happen as quickly as we could Hope, But if we keep on searching, seeking, looking, he will come. In my case, I want to always be thankful for all that He has done in the past, example kept us alive in the midst of death times, fed us when there was no food, healed us when we did not even know it was Him., & on & on. What if He only provided today what we gave thanks to Him for yesterday. Let our praises of worship rise up in great peace and awesome wonder! HE IS INDEED WORTHY TO RECIEVE THEM ALL .Let each one of go forth facing life today and every day with exceeding great joy, and blessing those in our paths of life. LaVaye
LaVaye (what a beautiful name!)
Thanks so much for sharing and for your compliment. I’m glad my post touched your heart.
Your writing was also beautifully descriptive; it made me realize how those bitter, dark, lonely, hateful souls who came out of the Great Depression, refusing YHVH and relying on self, could become that way. YHVH is every answer to any question. PRAISE HIM.
LaVaye, your words are priceless ” What if He only provided today what we gave thanks to him for yesterday” I’ve heard these words before….good to hear them again. Yes He is indeed worth to receive all of our praises!
You know, it is funny how things can work out sometimes. I did not these comments until today after I had read todays teaching–“Necessary Retreat.”
I find the comments (Daria and LaVaye) shared here VERY encouraging to my wounded soul.
Thank you ladies for sharing your hearts and trials with us (me). It has reminded me that He is worthy to be praised no matter the circumstances and better yet-we are commanded to do just that.
What an AMAZING God we serve and how He does love us. How can we give any less?
“To wait for God’s word is to sit on the edge of the chair, leaning forward, straining to catch even the tiniest whisper. It is an attitude of immediacy, a trust that the turning point will suddenly arrive. It is to know the God of surprises.”
So well expressed. It is taking action while waiting! Quite the contrary of what most folks/us would think/do-instead of acting and obeying like Avraham did, we tend to evaluate the situation, sit back and wait for the answer to come, FIRST, before action.
‘Wait! Don’t be passive about it. To wait on the Lord is to risk everything else.”
It is walking out in faith/trust in ABBA, to place everything on the line as we take the first step out.