Have you ever been in trouble or afraid and tried to hide? Or maybe you hid somewhere just for fun. Sometimes a closet or under a bed makes a good place to hide, but there are times when a more unusual hiding place is needed. A verse in the Bible asks a question we all should really think about: “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:2424Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:24)). We know the answer is “no.” We cannot hide from God’s eyes! However, when we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, He is our “hiding place” and our source of safety and shelter in the problems of life. “He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust” (Psalm 91:44He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. (Psalm 91:4)).
People tell many stories about unusual places to hide during a tornado, and many stories were told after 21 tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma in April and May of 2013. One story is told about 20 people who found a very safe place to hide, and it may have saved their lives.
Several people were in a bank doing business when the tornado siren went off. Very quickly the bank employees and the customers were told to go into the bank vault. Most boys and girls have never been inside a bank vault to know what it’s like. It is a small room in the bank building where bank customers’ valuable things are stored in locked drawers. People usually go into the vault one at a time with a bank officer who has a key to the person’s drawer. The vault in this Oklahoma bank had walls of concrete two feet thick! Once everyone was inside the vault, the thick, heavy door was pulled closed from the inside. Just to make sure it stayed closed, three strong people inside the vault held onto it with all their might.
Even in Bible times, there were those who needed a hiding place that God provided for them. Do you remember the story of Noah and the ark? Noah and his family were in a flood, and the ark was their hiding place. But unlike the people in our story, Noah did not have to hang onto the door. Genesis 7:1616And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in. (Genesis 7:16) says, “The Lord shut him in,” so Noah knew he and the others inside were safe. Are you safe from God’s punishment against sin? The Lord Jesus says, “I am the door: by Me if any man [woman, boy or girl] enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:99I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:9)).
It is good to know that one person in the vault prayed, crying out to God to protect them. What a scary time they had waiting for the tornado to pass. When they were finally able to come out of their hiding place, they found that the vault was the only part of the large bank building still left standing! By His power, God had kept every person in the bank vault from any serious injury.
The story would have had an even more special ending if everyone had thanked God for saving them. How often do you remember to thank God for helping you, not only in the big difficulties of life, but in the small ones too? “O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever” (Psalm 136:11O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. (Psalm 136:1)).
ML-08/03/2014