Our Hiding Place
You are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance. Selah Psalm 32:7
As a child, one of my favorite games to play with my many cousins at family gatherings was hide-and-seek. I had many cousins, and my grandparents had a large yard with lots of great hiding places. The goal was to find the most obscure place to hide so that the cousin trying to find us could not possibly do so, leaving us either the last ones found or not found at all.
Corrie Ten Boom lived in the Netherlands during World War II and the Nazi regime. Her family ran a watch shop and sheltered and protected over 800 Jews from the Nazis. For years, they ran an underground resistance network until betrayed by an informant. This hiding place was a secret room undetectable by a fake brick wall in Corrie’s bedroom.
In both examples above, the hiding place was a means of escape—people running away, hoping not to be found. But God as our hiding place is about finding refuge in the middle of our reality. Life is hard. We experience seasons of stress, fear, and uncertainty, as well as moments of guilt, shame, hurt, and loss. Our natural tendency is to hide from God and try to work things out on our own.
In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve did just that. They were tricked by the serpent and ate the apple from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, even though God had given them specific instructions not to do so. At that point, sin entered the human race, and Adam and Eve became afraid. Verse 8 reads, “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” They tried to hide, but they simply couldn’t hide from God. Guess what? Neither can we.
Scripture invites us to do the opposite; to hide in Him. Cether is a Hebrew word meaning shelter, covering, hiding place, or secret place. It appears about 36 times* in the Old Testament, referring to a place of concealment for safety or intimacy. Psalm 91:1-4 says, “1 The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say concerning the Lord, who is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust: 3 He himself will rescue you from the bird trap, from the destructive plague. 4 He will cover you with his feathers; you will take refuge under his wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield.”
Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30, “28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Hiding in Him doesn’t mean fear or avoidance or escape. It means refuge. God offers Himself to us as personal, protective care in an open, loving way.
Hiding in God is an active, daily process of relying on His grace, following Him, and finding peace in Him. In doing so, we are not merely concealed but covered by grace, mercy, and steadfast love. When life gets hard or even in the less burdensome times, God offers a space where we can be honest, safe, and restored. We don’t have to perform or pretend; it’s a simple act of trust. We often look to other things to provide safety, protection, or relief. But an intimate, personal relationship with God is all we need.
Psalm 32 above calls to us to come, rest in the presence of our God, be protected from much, and see His deliverance. Will you hide in Him today and allow Him to provide the love and refuge we all need in a chaotic and broken world? Will you run to God and allow Him to be a space where your soul catches its breath?
Call to Action
What fear, shame, disappointment, confusion, regret, anger, or other emotion do you need to take to God today? What would it look like to take this to God honestly?
Name what you are attempting to control or avoid. Then release it to God. Do you see God as safe enough to run to?
Practice sitting quietly with God. No distractions. Just your attention, eyes, and ears on Him. How can you make room for Him?
What is God inviting you to trust Him with today?
Digging Deeper
Read these additional passages: Psalm 27:5, Psalm 119:114, John 15:5, Romans 8:37, Colossians 3:2-3.
Prayer
God, thanks for being a personal God who desires a relationship with us and who cares for each of us. When we feel overwhelmed, afraid, or lonely, remind us that You are a safe place and that we are to come to You. Help us trust You and find the rest we need in You.
*Source: Biblehub.com
Copyright © 2026 Kyle Cravens