‘Psalm 32:7
Thou art a hiding place for me,
thou preservest me from trouble;
thou dost encompass me with deliverance.
Today’s verse sounds to modern ears like a “prayer of escapism.” Isn’t there something cowardly, asks the modern mind, about asking God to “hide” us? In reply, it is worth noting, as philosopher Peter Kreeft has observed, that the people most concerned about cutting off all escapes are jailers. In other words, there is a legitimate place in the Christian tradition for simply asking God to get us the heck out of here, out of this horrible situation, out of this world. That, after all, is why we pray “Thy kingdom come”, confess our hope in the Second Coming of Christ, and implore “deliver us from evil.” It is Stoic folly, not Christian virtue, to imagine we can go toe to toe with Satan and whip him all by ourselves. True, we are called to confront evil when God commands it. But we are not to arrogantly imagine we are spiritual Tough Guys. When evil or temptation comes that is too strong for us, it is perfectly acceptable to seek God as our hiding place, to flee temptation, and to ask for deliverance. Today, if you need to be delivered, don’t be shy. Ask your Father to deliver you from evil and then seek the strength of his Spirit to endure whatever comes.
