My Hiding Place

Last night it started to rain again. Just a gentle rain, but still, it was rain.  As a matter of fact, it is still raining this morning, and it is expected to rain all day long and overnight again! I don't mind the rain...we need it for the grass and flowers and trees to grow and to keep Still Waters Pond nice and full.

But last evening I was wondering if our Bluebirds were doing okay with all this rain.  

This is the current bluebird house that is in use in our yard.  Last year they chose the other birdhouse, but this year they chose this one, which is directly out in front of my window from my "Room With a View".  I like that because I can keep an eye on their comings and goings. They are now in the "sitting on the nest and waiting" phase of nesting.  Mrs. Bluebird pretty much stays inside while Mr. Bluebird brings her dinner.

So anyway, this is what I saw last night. If you are a Facebook friend, you may have already seen these pictures, so please just bear with me for the sake of those who are not on FB. Thank you!

From a distance I thought I could see something moving about in the peep hole of the birdhouse.

So I zoomed in with my camera lens, (while standing on our back porch).

And do you see what I see/  Yes, there is a sweet little face looking back out at me!

How patiently Mrs. Bluebird waits, sitting on her nest, keeping her soon to be babies nice and warm and safe while watching the raindrops  dripping down before her. I am sure she can also hear the raindrops on the roof above her, but she is safe and secure inside her little house, patiently waiting for the rain to stop and her sweet Mr. Bluebird to bring her some supper.

I'm sure she could see me standing there on the porch with that shiny metal thing in my face zooming in on her, and I wonder what she was thinking?  If these are the same bluebirds we had last year, she's probably thinking, "Here we go again!  We moved into a different house hoping we'd get some privacy, and there's that crazy woman again spying on us! We never get a moment's privacy when she's around!"

Or she may be thanking me for providing this nice sturdy shelter for her and her family...a safe haven in the times of storms and protection from the predators that are constantly swooping around out there.

Maybe she realizes that this is a good hiding place and refuge from the world while she so faithfully cares for her young ones.

This is what I was thinking:

Psalm 32:6-7

"6. Therefore let all the faithful pray to you

while you may be found;

surely the rising of the mighty waters

will not reach them.

7. You are my hiding place;

you will protect me from trouble

and surround me with songs of deliverance."

Perhaps you'd like to sing along with me:

"You are my hiding place

You always fill my heart

With songs of deliverance

Whenever I am afraid

I will trust in You

I will trust in You

Let the weak say

I am strong

In the strength of the Lord"

Well, I hope you enjoyed this beautiful way to start your day. In the midst of the storms of life and all the turbulence that is going on in the world these days, it is wonderful to know that God is there for us...He will hide us in the "cleft of the Rock" and keep us safe.  Oh, that reminds me of another wonderful hymn that I've sung so many times....perhaps you'd like to sing along with this one too:

"A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,

A wonderful Savior to me;

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,

Where rivers of pleasure I see.

Refrain:

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,

That shadows a dry, thirsty land;

He hideth my life in the depths of His love,

And covers me there with His hand,

And covers me there with His hand.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,

He taketh my burden away,

He holdeth me up and I shall not be moved,

He giveth me strength as my day.

With numberless blessings each moment He crowns,

And filled with His fullness divine,

I sing in my rapture, oh, glory to God!

For such a Redeemer as mine.

When clothed with His brightness transported I rise

To meet Him in clouds of the sky,

His perfect salvation, His wonderful love,

I’ll shout with the millions on high."

Praise God for this strength that He gives us each day.  Thank you for singing along with me this morning.  Now it's time to go get this day started. I've had my cup of tea and am ready to "face the world".  Nothing particular going on...just an ordinary day...but I feel ready for whatever it may bring now.  

Have a blessed and beautiful day today my friends.

 

"He Hideth My Soul" - Revisited 10/15/2017

I originally posted this about seven years ago in October of 2010..and it still rings true today!  I needed to re-read it again today...maybe you do too!  God bless you, my friends.

Exodus 33:22 "So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by."

Moses had asked God for a new vision of His Glory just before he was given the Ten Commandments on the tablets of stone on Mount Sinai.  Moses said to the Lord in Exodus 33:18,

"Please, show me Your glory." 

And God responded in verses 19-23, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you.  I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.  But He said, "You cannot see MY face; for no man shall see Me, and live."  And the Lord said (to Moses), "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock, and so it shall be, while MY glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.  Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."

How often have we asked God to please show us His glory? I wonder how many of us have asked God for "a sign", or a glimpse of His power...or just a peek at what His plans are for us.   I am certain that we have all asked for that at some point, and perhaps many times, in our lives.  Whether it be so that we could increase our faith by some tangible demonstration of God's power and work in our midst, or maybe so that we would know how to proceed with our life's plans...whether or not to seek a new position, home, mate, church, or whatever the decisions we may be facing.  In many cases, it could be that we are facing decisions about our health, surgeries, treatment plans, diets, or some other life changing situation...we could all say that we have honestly sought God's face and have earnestly desired to feel and see His power and glory expressed on our behalf.

In response to our quest for a witness of God's power and glory, what have we discovered about God and His relationship to us?  Does He always answer quickly with a showy demonstration of majesty and power? Do lightning bolts flash through the sky and enlighten us with the answers we are longing to hear?  Do we automatically receive wisdom and relief regarding our burden or pain?  Most likely not.  The reality is that we often have to seek long and hard and often to hear God's voice and "see His face"...or maybe the voice we hear and the face we see is not what we were hoping to hear and see.  Oftentimes the response is not what we were wanting to hear, such as, "No", "Not Now", or "Trust Me". 

There is an old hymn that helps to illuminate our minds on what the Lord was telling Moses that day...and it speaks to me today as well...

"A wonderful Saviour is Jesus, my Lord, a wonderful Saviour to me; He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock where rivers of pleasure I see."

Chorus:  "He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock that shadows a dry, thirsty land; He hideth my life in the depth of His love, and covers me there with His hand, and covers me there with His hand." 

"A wonderful Saviour is Jesus, my Lord, He taketh my burden away; He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved; He giveth me strength as my day."     Chorus

"With numberless blessings each moment He crowns, and, filled with His fullness divine, I sing in my rapture, oh, glory to God! For such a Redeemer is mine!"   Chorus

"When clothed in His brightness, transported I rise to meet Him in clouds of the sky, His perfect salvation, His wonderful love, I'll shout with the millions on high!"   Chorus:

"He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock that shadows a dry, thirsty land; He hideth my life in the depth of His love, and covers me there with His hand, and covers me there with His hand."  (Fanny J. Crosby)

Yes, I would love to see God's glory today...I would love to feel His power in my life and hear His voice telling me which way to go in all situations.  And perhaps I can see His glory...it surely is all around me everyday...just look outside...look up into the heavens...the sun, the moon, the stars...the sunrise, the sunset...the storm clouds, the rainbow after the storm...these are all demonstrations of His glory and power and majesty...and so is the still, small voice that says,

"Be still, and know that I AM God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"  Psalm 46:10

and again, the tender voice of God saying:

"This is the way, walk in it..."  Isaiah 30:21

Yes, Lord, I need to see your glory, I want to feel your power, I want to know beyond a shadow of doubt what Your divine plan is for my life and for those I love.  Help me to trust You when You hide me in the cleft of the rock...help me to know that You are always doing what is best for me...to protect me from things I do not understand or clearly see.  Help me to be patient and wait on Your still, small voice, directing my steps and telling me, "This is the way, walk in it."  In Your Name I pray, Amen.

After posting this I thought of another song that goes along with this passage:

"Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee; Let the water and the blood, from Thy riven side which flowed, be of sin the double cure; save me from its guilt and power.

Not the labors of my hands can fulfill Thy laws demands. Could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could NOT atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling; naked, come to Thee for dress, helpless, look to Thee for grace.  Foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Saviour, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death, when I soar to realms unknown, see Thee on Thy judgment throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee."     AMEN.
Augustus M. Toplady

The Secret Garden Chronicles-Sheltered and Protected

I tried to sit in the Secret Garden today, but the chickadees are still trying to build their nest in the birdhouse, and it became quite apparent that I was hampering their progress by my presence in the garden.

I tried to just sit real still and quietly, but as soon as they saw me there they started chattering back and forth...and looking at me, and then flying around to other limbs, and the birdie with the nesting materials in her mouth just would NOT go in the birdhouse as long as I remained sitting there.

And then a bug dropped on me from the tree above that looked too much like a tick or small spider or something...I didn't let it stay on me long enough to get it's entomological identification...I quickly brushed him off, checked myself for other bugs, gathered up my stuff and decided to move to the front porch.  The porch has been rather sadly neglected since I developed the Secret Garden.  So I thought this would be a good time to enjoy it before the weather gets too hot to sit out there!

So, as I sat there on the porch trying to "relax" and get focused on what the Lord would say to me today...it took me a few minutes to adjust to my new surroundings...and finally I just had to pray...

"Lord, help me to focus my thoughts and attention on YOU and YOU alone!"

I had written down this verse the other day when I saw it referred to in one of my daily devotions:

"And He (God) said, 

'My Presence will go with you,

and I will give you rest.'"

Exodus 33:14

Rest is my "One Word" for this year, and so I know that is why this verse caught my attention.  I love what God is saying actually to Moses here, when the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness after escaping Egypt.  I am sure Moses needed to find rest as he was under so much pressure from the people on every side. What a comfort this must have been to Moses, to hear God tell him that His Presence would go with him, and that He would give him rest.  

And then further down, in verses 18-23, Moses had asked the Lord if He would please show him His glory...and God explained to Moses that "no man shall see Me, and live..." (verse 20), but God did something very special for Moses in verses 21-23. 

21.  "And the Lord said, 'Here is a place by Me,

and you shall stand on the rock.

22.  So it shall be, while My glory passes by, 

that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and cover you

with My hand while I pass by.

23.  Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see 

My back, but My face shall not be seen."

I love how God did not put Moses down for asking this special request, but instead He placed Moses in a safe place, actually right beside Him, and He covered Moses with His hand while He passed by so that Moses would not die...and yet he would witness the Lord passing by. God must have loved Moses very much, don't you think?

Also, in another place, Isaiah 51, verse 16, God tells Isaiah

"I have covered you with the shadow of My hand."

Perhaps this is the message God is wanting to get across to me (and maybe you) today...nothing too deep or profound...just to know that He is sheltering me here, in the "cleft of the rock", "under the shadow of His hand"...

Isaiah 51:12-13 further tells me this:

12.  "I, even I, am He who comforts you.

Who are you that you should be afraid 

of a man who will die,

and of the son of a man who will be made like grass?

13.  And you forget the Lord your Maker,

Who stretched out the heavens

and laid the foundations of the earth..."

Yes,, Lord, sometimes I DO give in to fears...not so much the BIG fears of life, but often the little insignificant fears that nag at my mind...stupid stuff  (like bugs falling out of trees?...Well maybe it's okay to be a little afraid of that, isn't it Lord???)

Well, maybe I do worry about some of the big stuff too...like getting older, health concerns for myself and/or my hubby, financial issues, etc....

Psalm 71 reminds me in David's "Prayer for Old Age"

5.  "For You are my hope, O Lord God;

You are my trust from my youth.

6.  By You I have been upheld from birth;

You are He who took me out of my mother's womb.

My praise shall be continually of You."

9.  "Do not cast me off in the time of old age;

Do not forsake me when my strength fails.

17.  "O God, You have taught me from my youth;

and to this day I declare Your wondrous works.

18.  Now also when I am old and grayheaded ,

O God, do not forsake me,

Until I declare Your strength to this generation,

Your power to everyone who is to come."

As most of you know by now, I love to include old hymns with these posts, because often as I am writing the Lord reminds me of a song and I can't stop until I've looked it up and sung it for all to hear...(probably what keeps scaring the birds away...), but today this song blessed my heart as I read about God hiding Moses in the cleft of the rock...and I wanted to share it with you.  

Click on THIS LINK to sing along with The Haven of Rest Quartet as they sing "He Hideth My Soul", an old favorite by Fanny Crosby.

1. A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
   A wonderful Savior to me;
   He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
   Where rivers of pleasure I see.
   • Refrain:
     He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
     That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
     He hideth my life in the depths of His love,
     And covers me there with His hand,
     And covers me there with His hand.
2. A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
   He taketh my burden away,
   He holdeth me up and I shall not be moved,
   He giveth me strength as my day.
3. With numberless blessings each moment He crowns,
   And filled with His fullness divine,
   I sing in my rapture, oh, glory to God!
   For such a Redeemer as mine.
4. When clothed with His brightness transported I rise
   To meet Him in clouds of the sky,
   His perfect salvation, His wonderful love,
   I’ll shout with the millions on high.

I'm sorry that video didn't include all of the verses, but you can keep singing now that you know the tune!

I pray that today you will feel the wonderful protection of the Lord over your life, as He shelters you in the cleft of the rock, and covers you there with His hand!  We are so blessed to be His children! Amen?  Praise God!!  Have a beautifully blessed day, my friends.

The Secret Garden Chronicles-Day 6-He Hideth My Soul

Today it was a little rainy, cold and dreary, so it wasn't a good day to sit in the Secret Garden...

Looking out the window toward the Secret Garden

But  God had already prepared another place for me to sit under the cover of our back porch, and still be in a quiet, peaceful place, sheltered by His loving hands.

This is also a very special place , set apart as a memorial garden in loving memory of our precious son Matthew, who was called away to heaven much too soon for us, but right on time in God's perfect plan for his life.

And so I ventured out, and entered the garden and prepared my heart for worship.  The first thing I noticed before sitting down was how the birds were being sheltered within the trees and the birdfeeder, as they waited out the drizzly rain.

And immediately my heart started to sing and praise the Lord , yes, I actually sang silently so as not to disturb the birds, but my heart was singing out loud, and I know God heard me...

"A wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Lord,

A wonderful Savior to me..

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock

where rivers of pleasure I see.

Chorus:

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock

that shadows a dry thirsty land,

He hideth my life in the depths of His love,

and covers me there with His hand...

And covers me there with His hand.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Lord;

He taketh my burden away..

He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved;

He giveth me strength as my day...

(chorus)

With numberless blessings 

each moment He crowns,

and, filled with His fullness divine,

I sing in my rapture,

Oh! Glory to God!

For such a Redeemer as mine!

(chorus)

When clothed in His brightness,

transported I rise

to meet Him in clouds of the sky;

His perfect salvation,

His wonderful love,

I'll SHOUT with the millions on high!!

(Chorus)

(He Hideth My Soul, by Fanny Crosby)

Then God directed me to Isaiah 51:15-16:

"But I Am the Lord your God,

Who divided the sea whose waves roared--

The Lord of hosts is His name.

And I have put MY words in your mouth,

I have covered you with the shadow of MY hand..."

And I responded with Psalm 32:7-8:

"You are my hiding place;

You shall preserve me from trouble;

You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.

I (God) will instruct you and teach you

in the way you should go;

I will guide you with my eye."

Then God brought me to Psalm 31 as follows:

14> "But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord;

I say, 'You are my God,

15>  My times are in Your hand...'"

19> "Oh how great is Your goodness,

which You have laid up for those who fear You...

which You have prepared for those who trust in You

in the presence of the sons of men!

20>  You (GOD) shall hide them in the 

"secret place" of Your Presence 

from the plots of man;

You shall keep them "secretly"

in a pavilion from the strife of tongues."

I couldn't help but notice how God was showing me how He is covering me (us) with His loving hands...and hiding us in the "secret place"...away from the plots of men and those who would seek to harm us.  In this current day and age, many of us have concerns about the "plots of men and those who would seek to harm us"...terrorists and other enemies of our nation, as well as the enemies of our faith.  But God is sheltering, protecting, and keeping us safe in the secret place of His love. We need not fear what man may do to us.

My heart broke out in song again:  singing the praise chorus that says...

"How Great is our God... (click HERE for video "world" version with Chris Tomlin)

"How Great Is Our God"

The splendor of a king
Clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice

He wraps Himself in light,
And darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
Trembles at His voice

How great is our God
Sing with me
How great is our God
And all will see
How great, how great is our God

Age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the end
Beginning and the end

The Godhead Three in One
Father, Spirit and Son
The Lion and the Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb

How great is our God
Sing with me
How great is our God
And all will see
How great, how great is our God

Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God

Name above all names
You are worthy of all praise
And my heart will sing
How great is our God

[3x]
How great is our God
Sing with me
How great is our God
And all will see
How great, how great is our God

And then I sang the more familiar chorus to "How Great Thou Art"

"Then sings my soul,

my Savior God, to Thee;

How great Thou art,

How great Thou art...

Then I looked across the page in my Bible Psalm 30, and I see some of the verses that I've underlined as they've become precious to me since the passing of our son almost three years ago...

Psalm 30:4-5

"Sing praise to the Lord,

you saints of His,

and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name...

For His anger is but for a moment,

His favor is for LIFE;

Weeping may endure for a night,

but JOY comes in the morning!"

Verse 11:

"You have turned for my my mourning into dancing;

You have put off my sackcloth

and clothed me with gladness,

 12:

To the end that my glory may sing praise to You

and not be silent...

O Lord my God,

I will give thanks to YOU forever..."

"Then sings my soul,

My Savior God, to Thee...

How great Thou art,

How Great Thou art!"

No, I'm not so calloused that I no longer mourn or grieve the loss of our son, 

But...I KNOW where he is!!  He's with God Our Father, Jesus the Son, Our Savior, and the Holy Spirit...All there together...in heaven for eternity!  And we will see him again one day,

so how can I be sad?  He's safe at home, eternally!  Praise God for that peace and assurance!  

"Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine!

Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation,

purchase of God,

born of His Spirit,

washed in His blood.

This is my story,

this is my song,

Praising my Savior

all the day long.

This is my story,

this is my song;

Praising my Savior all the day long!!"

Amen

(Blessed Assurance, by Fanny Crosby)

Note: I sure look forward to meeting 

Fanny Crosby someday in heaven!

What a blessing she has been to me and 

countless millions of people who have sung 

the hymns she wrote out of her heart and love for

Jesus Christ our Savior!

I pray that your Sunday worship is a time of great joy, knowing that the Lord hides our soul in the cleft of the rock...and that He is keeping us safe within the shelter of His loving hands.  

"How Great is OUR God!!!"  

Amen!!