Hide in the heart of God.

Hide in the heart of God….uh, okay. Does that sound weird to you? It did to me when I first read it.

What do you usually ‘hide’ in? Relationships. Busyness. Worry. Financial stuff. Responsibilities…the list never stops, really. When life gets difficult or overwhelming, we tend to land on our default modes of selfishness. It’s easy to look at all my deadlines and responsibilities with work, school, all the things I have to do, people I want to spend time with, etc…and then I pity myself for having sooo much to do. Really, my direction of thought needs to go from myself to God. It’s easy to focus on our circumstances instead of realizing God’s awesome power.

The heart of God, according to Brennan Manning (an amazing author and really smart person), is Jesus’ hiding place, a strong protective space where God is near, where connection is renewed, where trust, love, and self-awareness never die, but are rekindled. In times of opposition, rejection, hatred, frustration, busyness, or danger, Jesus retreats to that hiding place where he is loved. In times of weakness and fear, a gentle strength and mighty perseverance are born there. In the face of mounting incomprehension and mistrust, the Father alone understands him.

So what does hiding in the heart of God look like? It might be five or ten minutes of prayer, a word of surrender, a pause to give thanks and praise, reading a verse or two or quoting a song that expresses God’s love for me; hiding in God will reshape our perspective.

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalms 32:7 (NIV)