Pastor Cal Lord's Recent Sermons
The Hiding Place
Psalm 91: 1-6 September 30, 2007
Where do you go when you are stressed or sad? When the world loads you up with burdens and
troubles, do you have a place where you can go to unload? Do you have a refuge that will allow
you to find some relief from your worries, fears, and insecurities?
When I was a little boy, my father found his comfort in his guitar. My mother had walked out on
the family. He was a single parent with two young sons. He was lonely, working long hours to
provide for the kids and he didn’t have many friends. So he would sit on the edge of his bed and
play. That music toughed a chord in his soul and gave him some relief. His favorite song was
Eddie Arnold’s 1965 hit song, “Make the World God Away.”
When I was a teenager, I suffered through the normal angst of growing up and often was at
odds with my parents. When the world came crashing in around me, I went to the big rock out
in the woods behind our house. I would sit there for hours and hide from the world.
Sometimes when I am overwhelmed by what is happening today, I get in the car and drive. I get
out on the open road and just get lost in my thoughts. I turn off the phone and get away from the
computer where no one can reach me, no one can ask me to do anything, no one can hurt me.
Life is filled with those moments. You read through the Psalms and you will immediately realize
that David understood this as well as any person who has ever lived. That’s funny because David
had to be one of the most blessed men in history.
From an early age he knew God and trusted him. He was chosen to be king of Israel as a young
man. He had a place of honor in the king’s court and his best friend was the king’s son. He was
a great soldier. He was handsome and intelligent. He was a gifted musician and he could write
poetry that touched hearts. Yet, despite all these gifts, David walked through some pretty dark,
lonesome valleys.
It is not a sign of weakness to admit that you have those desperate moments. It is a fact of life.
We read about Lindsey Lohan, or Luke Wilson in the newspapers or on the net and wonder how
they could be so screwed up. Well here is the good news: They might be asking the same
questions about you and me if the spotlight was on us twenty four hours a day, seven days a
week, 52 weeks a year. We might not reach the same extremes, but there would be plenty to
report on. Do you agree?
Life is difficult. That is how Scott Peck begins his book, “The Road Less Traveled.” He says,
“Once you understand this, life becomes much easier. The truth is life isn’t always easy. The
trick to finding contentment in life is knowing where to go and what to do when the storm
clouds roll in. David, in our text this morning, suggests we find our hiding place, our dwelling
place, in God. Prayer is the key that opens that door.
One young boy was telling the pastor that his mother said his prayers for him each night. "What
do you mean, your mother says your prayers for you?" the puzzled minister inquired. The
youngster replied, "When mom tucks me in I always hear her say, "Thank God he’s in bed" as
she walks out of the room.
We joke about prayer, but the truth is that it is our link to God. It connects us and draws us into
his presence. David knew and understood that. From Psalm 1 through Psalm 150, he opens his
heart to God and not only draws strength from him, but finds protection and a resting place in
him.
In our text today from Psalm 91, David uses the word shelter to describe what God gives him.
This literally means “a hiding place.” Here David is covered, protected and kept safe. In the King
James Version of the Bible it is translated, “the secret place,” like my rock in the woods.
These same Hebrew words are translated "hiding place" in Psalm 32:7 - "You are my
hiding place: you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."
I learned something the other day that I never knew before. Did you know that mosquito
repellants don’t actually "repel" at all? They hide you. The spray blocks the mosquito’s sensors
so they don’t know where you are.
That’s what God does with our troubles. God can become our trouble repellant. He doesn’t
always dispel troubles from our lives but He can hide us from them! He can allow us to get away
from them for a time so we can rest and our strength can be renewed.
Do you remember the old Calgon bath oil ads? The slogan was “Let us take you away
from it all” and the ad featured this woman escaping from the rigors of the day and relaxing in a
bubble bath.
David says that is what God does for us. He takes us away from it all. In verse two and nine he
expands upon this by calling God a refuge. This Hebrew word literally means "a place of refuge,
shelter, or trust." Right there, David takes it to the next level by suggesting that we can make
God our dwelling. He suggests that we can live our life in the presence of God. This doesn’t
have to be an occasional visit. This doesn’t have to be a place to escape to, but we can live in his
presence and enjoy all the benefits every day.
I want to digress for a moment and talk about what we witnessed a little earlier in the service
with Kate, Chris and Lillian. You see what they did this morning was right in line with what
David is suggesting. Chris and Kate stood before us with an awareness that life may get tough at
times. All of us who are parents can attest to that. They recognized the awesome privilege as
well as the awesome responsibility they have as parents. God has entrusted Lillian to their care.
They know that as smart as they are, as well equipped as they are to confront all the challenges
the world can throw at them, there will be days when they will be forced to get on their knees
and pray for help. Mom and dad may not be there. There won’t be any special pill to take. There
is no magic wand to wave. They will simply have to walk through that valley.
In our service here they declared that they are not going to walk alone. They are going to make
their dwelling with God. They are go hand in hand with God as they raise this beautiful little girl.
And they are going to do it in such a way, that she will feel safe and secure in His arms as well.
That is a beautiful image. Somewhere I saw a picture of a infant baptism with a couple holding
their baby with Jesus right behind them with his hands on their shoulders. In the faithfulness we
have seen in Chris and Kate today, we see Jesus standing with them giving them shelter and
protection in the years to come.
Here is the good news. All of us can make our dwelling with God. We don’t have to wait until
tragedy strikes. We don’t have to wait until we are under stress. We can make a decision right
now to trust him and live in his shadow for the rest of lives.
Kate’s grandfather, Leonard Royce once told me that the song “Eternal Father, Strong to Save”
was one of his favorite hymns. Leonard was in the navy as a young man and he became deathly
ill. He spent weeks in a hospital recovering and along the way he heard this song, this hymn, that
is special to many in the armed forces because it speaks to long arm of God’s protection. It
reminded him that he was never alone and that God was with him. That is the promise that Psalm
91 speaks of for those who dwell with him.
Just look at what blessings are offered in Psalm 91 for those who make their hiding place in God.
Each one of them in itself is outstanding but when you put them all together it’s almost
overwhelmingly unbelievable!
V. 1 - REST in God’s shadow.
V. 2,4 - REFUGE in God’s fortress.
V. 3 - REDEMPTION from temptation.
V. 5-6 - RELIANCE upon His promises.
V. 7-8 - RETRIBUTION upon the enemy.
V. 9-10 - RESORT from wrath.
V. 11-12 - REINFORCEMENT from angels.
V. 13-14 - RESCUE from danger.
V. 15 - REQUESTS answered.
V. 16 - RESILIENCE promised.
God invites us to enjoy living in his shadow, living in his presence. He doesn’t want us to be
occasional guests. He wants us to feel at home.
It took me a few months to get used to living in our new home on Lincoln Avenue. For several
weeks I kept feeling as if I was going to walk in and the real owners were going to ask me what
I was doing. It didn’t feel like home. Home was somewhere else. That has changed now. I’ve
been there long enough so that IT FEELS RIGHT AND GOOD.
It’s the same thing with my parent’s house. I could have been away for a year and walked in and
felt right at home. I grew up there. I knew every nook and cranny. I remembered the closet
where I got a fishing hook caught in my ear and trap door in my bedroom that led to the
basement. I had explore every inch of space and knew it well.
That’s what God is calling us to. He wants us to live with him. To know the safety and security
that he offers. And all you and I have to do is call on him and he will invite us in.
Invitation to follow.
Psalm 91: 1-6 September 30, 2007
Where do you go when you are stressed or sad? When the world loads you up with burdens and
troubles, do you have a place where you can go to unload? Do you have a refuge that will allow
you to find some relief from your worries, fears, and insecurities?
When I was a little boy, my father found his comfort in his guitar. My mother had walked out on
the family. He was a single parent with two young sons. He was lonely, working long hours to
provide for the kids and he didn’t have many friends. So he would sit on the edge of his bed and
play. That music toughed a chord in his soul and gave him some relief. His favorite song was
Eddie Arnold’s 1965 hit song, “Make the World God Away.”
When I was a teenager, I suffered through the normal angst of growing up and often was at
odds with my parents. When the world came crashing in around me, I went to the big rock out
in the woods behind our house. I would sit there for hours and hide from the world.
Sometimes when I am overwhelmed by what is happening today, I get in the car and drive. I get
out on the open road and just get lost in my thoughts. I turn off the phone and get away from the
computer where no one can reach me, no one can ask me to do anything, no one can hurt me.
Life is filled with those moments. You read through the Psalms and you will immediately realize
that David understood this as well as any person who has ever lived. That’s funny because David
had to be one of the most blessed men in history.
From an early age he knew God and trusted him. He was chosen to be king of Israel as a young
man. He had a place of honor in the king’s court and his best friend was the king’s son. He was
a great soldier. He was handsome and intelligent. He was a gifted musician and he could write
poetry that touched hearts. Yet, despite all these gifts, David walked through some pretty dark,
lonesome valleys.
It is not a sign of weakness to admit that you have those desperate moments. It is a fact of life.
We read about Lindsey Lohan, or Luke Wilson in the newspapers or on the net and wonder how
they could be so screwed up. Well here is the good news: They might be asking the same
questions about you and me if the spotlight was on us twenty four hours a day, seven days a
week, 52 weeks a year. We might not reach the same extremes, but there would be plenty to
report on. Do you agree?
Life is difficult. That is how Scott Peck begins his book, “The Road Less Traveled.” He says,
“Once you understand this, life becomes much easier. The truth is life isn’t always easy. The
trick to finding contentment in life is knowing where to go and what to do when the storm
clouds roll in. David, in our text this morning, suggests we find our hiding place, our dwelling
place, in God. Prayer is the key that opens that door.
One young boy was telling the pastor that his mother said his prayers for him each night. "What
do you mean, your mother says your prayers for you?" the puzzled minister inquired. The
youngster replied, "When mom tucks me in I always hear her say, "Thank God he’s in bed" as
she walks out of the room.
We joke about prayer, but the truth is that it is our link to God. It connects us and draws us into
his presence. David knew and understood that. From Psalm 1 through Psalm 150, he opens his
heart to God and not only draws strength from him, but finds protection and a resting place in
him.
In our text today from Psalm 91, David uses the word shelter to describe what God gives him.
This literally means “a hiding place.” Here David is covered, protected and kept safe. In the King
James Version of the Bible it is translated, “the secret place,” like my rock in the woods.
These same Hebrew words are translated "hiding place" in Psalm 32:7 - "You are my
hiding place: you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."
I learned something the other day that I never knew before. Did you know that mosquito
repellants don’t actually "repel" at all? They hide you. The spray blocks the mosquito’s sensors
so they don’t know where you are.
That’s what God does with our troubles. God can become our trouble repellant. He doesn’t
always dispel troubles from our lives but He can hide us from them! He can allow us to get away
from them for a time so we can rest and our strength can be renewed.
Do you remember the old Calgon bath oil ads? The slogan was “Let us take you away
from it all” and the ad featured this woman escaping from the rigors of the day and relaxing in a
bubble bath.
David says that is what God does for us. He takes us away from it all. In verse two and nine he
expands upon this by calling God a refuge. This Hebrew word literally means "a place of refuge,
shelter, or trust." Right there, David takes it to the next level by suggesting that we can make
God our dwelling. He suggests that we can live our life in the presence of God. This doesn’t
have to be an occasional visit. This doesn’t have to be a place to escape to, but we can live in his
presence and enjoy all the benefits every day.
I want to digress for a moment and talk about what we witnessed a little earlier in the service
with Kate, Chris and Lillian. You see what they did this morning was right in line with what
David is suggesting. Chris and Kate stood before us with an awareness that life may get tough at
times. All of us who are parents can attest to that. They recognized the awesome privilege as
well as the awesome responsibility they have as parents. God has entrusted Lillian to their care.
They know that as smart as they are, as well equipped as they are to confront all the challenges
the world can throw at them, there will be days when they will be forced to get on their knees
and pray for help. Mom and dad may not be there. There won’t be any special pill to take. There
is no magic wand to wave. They will simply have to walk through that valley.
In our service here they declared that they are not going to walk alone. They are going to make
their dwelling with God. They are go hand in hand with God as they raise this beautiful little girl.
And they are going to do it in such a way, that she will feel safe and secure in His arms as well.
That is a beautiful image. Somewhere I saw a picture of a infant baptism with a couple holding
their baby with Jesus right behind them with his hands on their shoulders. In the faithfulness we
have seen in Chris and Kate today, we see Jesus standing with them giving them shelter and
protection in the years to come.
Here is the good news. All of us can make our dwelling with God. We don’t have to wait until
tragedy strikes. We don’t have to wait until we are under stress. We can make a decision right
now to trust him and live in his shadow for the rest of lives.
Kate’s grandfather, Leonard Royce once told me that the song “Eternal Father, Strong to Save”
was one of his favorite hymns. Leonard was in the navy as a young man and he became deathly
ill. He spent weeks in a hospital recovering and along the way he heard this song, this hymn, that
is special to many in the armed forces because it speaks to long arm of God’s protection. It
reminded him that he was never alone and that God was with him. That is the promise that Psalm
91 speaks of for those who dwell with him.
Just look at what blessings are offered in Psalm 91 for those who make their hiding place in God.
Each one of them in itself is outstanding but when you put them all together it’s almost
overwhelmingly unbelievable!
V. 1 - REST in God’s shadow.
V. 2,4 - REFUGE in God’s fortress.
V. 3 - REDEMPTION from temptation.
V. 5-6 - RELIANCE upon His promises.
V. 7-8 - RETRIBUTION upon the enemy.
V. 9-10 - RESORT from wrath.
V. 11-12 - REINFORCEMENT from angels.
V. 13-14 - RESCUE from danger.
V. 15 - REQUESTS answered.
V. 16 - RESILIENCE promised.
God invites us to enjoy living in his shadow, living in his presence. He doesn’t want us to be
occasional guests. He wants us to feel at home.
It took me a few months to get used to living in our new home on Lincoln Avenue. For several
weeks I kept feeling as if I was going to walk in and the real owners were going to ask me what
I was doing. It didn’t feel like home. Home was somewhere else. That has changed now. I’ve
been there long enough so that IT FEELS RIGHT AND GOOD.
It’s the same thing with my parent’s house. I could have been away for a year and walked in and
felt right at home. I grew up there. I knew every nook and cranny. I remembered the closet
where I got a fishing hook caught in my ear and trap door in my bedroom that led to the
basement. I had explore every inch of space and knew it well.
That’s what God is calling us to. He wants us to live with him. To know the safety and security
that he offers. And all you and I have to do is call on him and he will invite us in.
Invitation to follow.
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