“You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence…” the Psalmist confidently declares of our good God in Psalm 31:19-20. There is a hiding place where we may run when the storms are raging—and that is in God. This is another mark of His goodness.
The goodness of God does not prevent us from experiencing some badness in life. We live in a broken world, under the curse of sin.
First, and most importantly, in His goodness, God has provided us a refuge from judgment. That secret place is in Christ. In a personal relationship with Him, we have salvation—in a place of no condemnation and no separation, as Romans 8 begins and ends. Right in the midst of that chapter is the glorious promise of Romans 8:28, of how God will take all things, even bad things, and work them together for good. That ultimate good is to shape us and make us like Christ (Rom.8:29).
Why is it a secret place? It is a place unknown and unreachable to the enemy. Paul says our “life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col.3:3). Saul chased David all over the Judean wilderness—and could never catch him.
It is a place we must diligently search for. That which is most valuable is most rare, and attained with diligent effort. Diamonds are not scattered like dust on furniture and gold is not discovered all over a gravel driveway. Neither is the secret place of God’s good presence known without seeking Him with all our heart.
Yet, that is an issue isn’t it? Too often we are captivated by the things of this world, and God needs to remind His children of the best things—the greatest good that alone will satisfy the need of our heart—His sweet presence! What if God allows the bad to drive us to the good—and especially the greatest good which is Himself?
The song, “Blessings,” by Laura Story reminds us of this truth,
We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things
'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not,
This is not our home
It's not our home
'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise
An old Chinese parable conveys this truth:
A farmer had only one horse. One day, his horse ran away.
His neighbors said, “I'm so sorry. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.”
The man just said, “We'll see.”
A few days later, his horse came back with twenty wild horses following. The man and his son corralled all 21 horses.
His neighbors said, “Congratulations! This is such good news. You must be so happy!”
The man just said, “We'll see.”
One of the wild horses kicked the man's only son, breaking both his legs.
His neighbors said, “I'm so sorry. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.”
The man just said, “We'll see.”
The country went to war, and every able-bodied young man was drafted to fight. The war was terrible and killed every young man, but the farmer's son was spared, since his broken legs prevented him from being drafted.
His neighbors said, “Congratulations! This is such good news. You must be so happy!”
The man just said, “We'll see.”
The reality is that we see through a glass darkly (1 Cor.13). This is why Scripture says we walk by faith and not by sight. We’ll understand it better by and by. When we are tempted to doubt God’s goodness all we must do is run to the cross, and see the refuge He provided for us there.
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