You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
Psalm 32:7
Psalm 32 makes it clear that God doesn’t always save us from battle; we are human and we will always wrestle with our flesh, sin, and even forces of darkness that we cannot begin to comprehend. But it also assures us that he is and will always be a hiding place for us in the midst of our struggles and that he will preserve us.
The definition of preserve:
- to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction : protect
- to keep alive, intact, or free from decay
David (the author of this Psalm) was a warrior/King. He was fighting, not hiding. When he sang, “YOU are my hiding place and my shield,” he was expressing his faith in a God who would keep him safe during very real, violent and bloody conflicts.
David’s expectation was for provision and protection during battle—not deliverance from the battle itself. What a comfort to us to know that when the war is raging around us—whatever that war may be—we can be confident and assured that God himself will be our shield. He does not promise to take us out of trouble (“in this world you will have trouble”) but he does promise that he will be with us (“I am with you always”) to give us peace and strength (sometimes even songs) in the midst of it.
You Are My Hiding Place/When My Heart Is Afraid
When my heart is afraid
And the voices of darkness
Surround me on every side
And take my breath away
I lift up my song
You are my hiding place
You always fill my heart with songs of deliverance
Whenever I am afraid I will trust in you
Let the weak say, “I am strong” in the strength of the Lord
When fear tries to come
And recapture my soul
And my heart is too weary to cope
I run to the Lord
My shield and my hope
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
When my heart is afraid
Of the voices of darkness
When the battle is too much for me
I lay down my sword
And I reach for you, Lord
Stephanie Staples-Rostad & Michael James Ledner
