Find Your Place

7/12/2023

Written By: Margie Davis

I have this weird thing I do when my husband and I are riding in the car. I will see a wooded area, or a small shed or other building and think “that would be a good place to hide.” I don’t have a clue what I would be hiding from, but I instinctively look! It’s a joke between us and I’ve done it so long that even Rick can spot a good “hiding place” for me! 

In scripture, the Psalms have so much to say about JESUS being our hiding place!   

Psalms 32:7 “You are my hiding place, you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”   

Psalms 119:114 “You are my hiding place and my shield, my refuge in times of trouble.” 

As someone who is naturally attuned to seeking out a refuge/hiding place, I find tremendous comfort in these scriptures. If you feel a need to get away from the world, there is no question that HE is the place to go! 

Is He your healing place? I believe in the power of prayer. And I trust and believe that He alone is our healer. He can just speak the word and the most miraculous healing can take place. He can also use doctors, therapists, pastors, friends and medicine to heal. But He alone IS our source. Luke 9:11 says “He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God and healed those who needed healing.” Don’t ever give up hope! Healing isn’t hard for Him to do, it’s just hard for us to believe. 

Is He your happy place? If you’re like me, there have been times when I feel as though I’ve lost my joy. This world is a very troubling place. Family situations, aging, cultural change, financial difficulties and strained relationships can steal our happiness. But Jesus lays out a promise in John 15:11 “You will grieve, but your grief will be turned to joy.” Don’t forget that happiness/joy can come when you least expect it. And if HE is your source of joy, you can count on it! 

Ok, so here comes the truth bomb… 

We want the hiding place, the healing place and the happy place. But I’m afraid we avoid the HOLY place of God.   

Holiness is hard to attain in our daily lives, isn’t it? It’s even harder to MAINTAIN! I find myself trying and failing to complete a full day of Holy living! Is it just me?   

Isaiah 8:14 says “And He shall be for you a holy place.” As I was walking and listening to my audio Bible, this scripture struck me hard! No wonder I fall so short in my pursuit of holiness! It does NOT reside in ME! The Lord alone is my Holy Place! That’s where all the Holiness is! But how do I GET there? 

Psalm 24:3 says “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart...” 

Clean hands represent OUR ACTIONS. Pure hearts represent OUR THOUGHTS. On our journey to HIS Holy place we have to first “wash our hands!” I’ve spent a lot of time in the Riley NICU lately, and the first stop before we enter the unit is a big surgical sink to scrub your hands and under your fingernails. Then, just before you step into the baby’s room you are asked to use hand sanitizer as well! We understand the importance of maintaining the sterility of that room!  

Entering into the presence of God is the same! He IS our Holy Place, and we certainly don’t want to take our filth into His presence. I think that makes us avoid Him altogether at times. Are you watching an inappropriate show? As long as you don’t think about Jesus while you’re watching it, you don’t have to think about the unholiness of the language and sexual content. The same goes with any sin we willfully enter into. Our actions will either bring us INTO His Holy Place or will slam the door on it. 

Pure hearts are the same. Once we conceive a sin in our hearts (minds) it has a high likelihood of coming out of our mouths (in rash words, etc.) or it will begin to prompt us to act on it.   

Friends, we live in a MOST unholy world. It’s easy to get swept along with it! If that bothers you, that’s a step in the right direction. But when it begins to GRIEVE you to the point that you decide change must start with you, then you are walking toward that Holy Place. And that’s where you will truly, finally, find HIM.