Listen

That’s why all the faithful should pray to you during troubled times, so that a great flood of water won’t reach them. You are my secret hideout! You protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of rescue! Selah

Psalm 32:6-7

Think

There’s just something about making mistakes that makes us want to hide. In the Garden of Eden, after Adam and Eve make their first big mistake, we learn that their second big mistake is… you guessed it, hiding.

The drive to hide can ultimately come from two sources: shame or safety. After all, there’s nothing wrong with seeking shelter in the midst of a hurricane! But what if our own lives are the hurricane we seek to flee? Ah, shame, you sinister thief!

The Psalmist knew the potential for shame embedded in life’s many mistakes. But rather than hide from God, the Psalmist found the courage and faith to hide in God. Rather than allowing the deceptive voices of shame to shout the Psalmist into the shadows, the Psalmist chose the saving security of God’s embrace, a shelter from a self-induced storm.

Dave McNeely

Pray

God, save me from myself. When I am tempted to be ashamed and hide from you, hide me in the shelter of your comforting wings instead. Amen.

Go

As you go, may your heart be forever anchored in the welcoming heart of God.

As you go, may you experience the joy of love rushing out to meet you on your path.

As you go, may the future paved by forgiveness lead you in the path of everlasting joy.