Life's Daily Challenge Devotional

Where are you hiding?

“Also I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet; The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place. Your covenant with death will be annulled...” Isaiah 28:17-18a.

To God’s hidden one,

With the pressures this world system brings upon us we all need a place to hide. The Lord allows these pressures to come to all because He wants us to find refuge in Him. He offers us abiding peace amidst world tribulation. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) The first man and woman who sinned tried to hide behind perishable clothing. Their vain attempt to cover themselves only worsened the problem. Through it they denied the Father communion with their hearts. Their attempt to only let Him see their best was an abomination to God. It flowed from their perverted hope that they could be righteous apart from their relationship with Him. The Father shed blood to provide them with the skins of animals. This foreshadowed the blood that would one day be shed by the spotless Lamb of God.

Man has continued to hide behind things other than Christ. The Bible calls this the refuge of lies. Regardless of how stable these things may appear to be they are mortal and perishable. They will be destroyed when God’s “overflowing scourge” passes through. The Father sends His scourge so that our covenant with death will be destroyed. Abundant life is only found by a life build upon faith in Christ alone. A soul’s dependence upon anything else is void of that divine life flow. It is dead and it shares death with all who in turn depend upon it.

Jesus said that we could know truth. He is Truth. He said that truth would make us free (John 8:32) His strength is given to us when we are willing to be honest about our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9) In order to do that we must agree with Him when He reveals that we have been hiding behind something other than Him. The world is always seeking safe and peaceful conditions. We can carry safety and peace within us when we choose to abide in Him alone.