Our Hiding Place – Redux
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My HAND. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s HAND. I and My Father are one.” – John 10:25-30 NKJV.
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE OF GOD which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:37-39 NKJV.
An escaped inmate in Texas appears to have scored a first. Wesley Evans hid from law enforcement in a dishwasher! He was able to hide so well that the first search of his girlfriend’s apartment was unsuccessful. However, someone called in an anonymous tip, and the second search succeeded in the capture of the 6’ tall 20-year-old with his slender body folded up inside of a dishwasher. Evans apparently took the racks out of the dishwasher to be able to hide inside. Doing a google search I was unable to find any other occurrence of a fugitive hiding in a dishwasher. A baby has hid inside of a dishwasher and a puppy, but no fugitives. The most popular hiding place for fugitives inside of a house is the clothes dryer. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of people have hidden inside of clothes dryers. You can look at the first “Our Hiding Place” devotional (02.06.12) to read of some of those fugitives hiding out in clothes dryers. (New York Daily News 04.15.16; Reuters 04.14.16; WALB News 04.13.16)
It is our vulnerable human condition that requires at times that we find somewhere, some place to hide; even if you are not an escaped inmate, or on the run from the authorities. Where do we go, what do we do when our world falls apart? What do we do when we unexpectedly lose or job and the bills are due with no way to pay them? If you are employed by a non-governmental employer, you know that your job can end at the whim of your boss. It is not much fun to be called into a meeting and be told that your services are no longer needed. Especially when you really do need the job and have no idea where to turn to find another one.
What do you do, where do you turn when your health suddenly takes a turn for the worse? A friend of ours thought she had a cold, but after a visit to her doctor and tests found that she had stage four cancer. My wife thought she had strained a muscle, but found out she had a large ovarian tumor and stage three cancer. In 2003, I was mowing the lawn one day and the next I was in hospital with ischemic colitis; it was nine days later before I was released from the hospital. So many people have experienced far worse health conditions that were not survivable or are chronic debilitating conditions. You need a hiding place when you receive news like that.
What do you do when you have a child born with a physical or mental handicap? What do you do when your child or your spouse suddenly dies? You need a hiding place. There are countless other human conditions that require that we need some place to hide away for a time. Where do we go what do we do when we need that hiding place? My hiding place has always been to turn to God to place myself in His hand, for His will to be done. He has never failed me, and He will not fail you. God has the power to hold you together, and take you step by step through the worst that this world can bring into your life. Place yourself in the hand of God, in the center of God’s love; that is the only hiding place that really works. Of course, you can hide in a dishwasher, but it won’t do you very much good!