Hiding Place

King David was beset by his son, Absalom, who had the intention of wrestling the kingdom away
from his father. David was on the run, and felt the weight of trouble. In Psalm 3, we read his words:
(1) Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me.
2 Many are they who say of me, "There is no help for him in God." Selah
3 But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.

Do you sometimes feel that you are in trouble?  Well, we certainly live in a troubled world - a fallen world, where evil is present and assertive.  But, in the midst of our trouble, we can turn to God as our hiding place, our shield, our protector.  That's not to say that our lives will be free from adversity or tragedy, but we can be anchored in Him, who brings us security and peace even when there are challenges all around us.  We are weak in human strength, but strong in the Lord.

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We are reminded of the troubled and fearful world in which we live - and even God's people
encounter tragedy; yet, we are instructed in Scripture to hide ourselves in God.  He will protect our spirits and help us to confront fear and challenges.  Psalm 32 says:
7 You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.

Terror came to church - again - yesterday in Sutherland Springs, Texas, which is a small town about 30 miles southeast of San Antonio.  CBS News described the man who walked into the First Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist church, and opened fire - at least 26 people are dead and over a dozen wounded.  The news report stated that authorities...

...said he was dressed in all black and tactical gear when he opened fire at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs. After a car chase with police, the suspect was shot and declared dead. It's unclear if the suspect shot himself or if he was killed by a resident.

WORLD Magazine reported:

The gunman crossed the street firing a Ruger AR rifle, according to Freeman Martin, a regional director of the Texas Department of Safety, and continued firing after entering the white wood-frame church. As he left the church, a man who lived nearby who heard the gunfire confronted the shooter and chased him. A short time later, the suspect was found dead in his vehicle at the county line, Martin said. It was unclear if the attacker died of a self-inflicted wound or if the man who chased him had shot him. Investigators weren’t ready to discuss a possible motive for the attack. Martin said 23 of the dead were found in the church, two were found outside, and one died after being rushed to a hospital. The dead ranged in age from 5 to 72 years old. Among those killed was Annabelle Pomeroy, the 14-year-old daughter of the church’s pastor. Pastor Frank Pomeroy, and his wife, Sherri, were both out of town in two different states when the attack occurred. President Donald Trump, who was in Japan, called the shooting an “act of evil” and said he was monitoring the situation.

The suspect has been identified as Devin Patrick Kelley, 26 years of age, who had been dishonorably discharged from the Air Force three years ago, according to CBS, which said that, "Investigators will look at his social media posts made in the days prior to Sunday's attack -- including one that appeared to display an AR-15 semiautomatic weapon."

Christian leaders have been swift to respond, including Texas church leaders.  First Baptist Dallas senior pastor Robert Jeffress said:

Today’s horrific church shooting is every pastor’s worst nightmare and is proof of the reality of evil. Although the Bible never diminishes the pain of evil, it does promise that one day when Christ returns, evil will be defeated forever. Until that time, we pray that the members of First Baptist Church, Sutherland Springs, will experience the promise of Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted.”

Tony Evans, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, tweeted:

Our hearts and prayers break for those in #SutherlandSprings May God give a peace beyond understanding to all affected.

Max Lucado from Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, tweeted out:

Our hearts are saddened at the news of the shootings in Sutherland Springs....Our first response is prayer.

Interestingly enough, the front page to Max's website has a link to a blog post or devotional in the aftermath of the Las Vegas shooting last month.  He writes:

Where the Bible may not tell us the why of the tragedies, it is quick to tell us who.

Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world (Ephesians 6:12 NCV).

The Bible names a real and present foe of our faith: the devil. He is not just a symbol for evil, he is the source of evil. He doesn’t live in myths and fables, he is an actual being who stalks our planet. He knows his time is short so he seeks to wreak havoc on every occasion.

Former Southern Baptist Convention President Ronnie Floyd commented:

“When attacks of hate and terror happen in our places of worship, they shake us to the core. We must beg God for His mighty hand of protection on our nation and the world. May God be with the victims of this shooting. Only God is our refuge in these times of trouble.”

Faithwire reported that the attack got the attention of NFL star Benjamin Watson, who posted on Facebook after his game: “An attack in a house of worship is an attack at the very core of America. Are no places sacred? Have we descended this far?” He added, “On a Sunday dedicated to global unified prayer for our persecuted brothers and sisters we are once again brought to our knees as tragedy strikes again and the very real presence of evil is seen and felt with our own eyes and hands.”

Yesterday was the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, and the mass shooting of Christians in a place of worship does seem like something that you would hear about in a country somewhere else in the world.

Earlier this year, it was announced that the group International Christian Concern added the U.S. to its list of "new and noteworthy" nations in the 2016 “Hall of Shame Report," according to World Net Daily.  Russia and Mexico were also on that list.  The WND report said:

While ICC notes “there is no comparison between the life of a Christian in the U.S. with persecuted believers overseas,” the group noted a number of “worrying trends as an alarming indication of a decline in religious liberty in the United States.”

ICC President Jeff King explained: “We felt it was very important this year that we highlight three countries where religious discrimination and persecution are deemed unusual but have reached a certain threshold of concern. These are Mexico, Russia, and sadly, the United States.

A few thoughts for us today in response:

The words, "hiding place," have come into my mind.  And, in a time when we might feel like we want to run and hide, we can remember to run into the arms of Almighty God.  We can hide in the security of His arms and His Holy Spirit.  We can also recognize our lives are hidden in God, and we can be clothed in the armor of God.

As Max Lucado points out, there is the presence of evil in this world.  We recognize the devil for who he is and that he will use people to carry out his wishes. Max reminds us of the shortness of his time.  We can certainly think that his effort is intensified.  We know that God will not prevent human suffering, but we can have peace in Him and continue to testify to His greatness, even in the face of tragedy.

Finally, and this was evidenced on social media last night, we live in a time where the culture of hate is seemingly increasing.   It's hard to imagine why someone takes the life of another, period. Why a man decides to open fire in a church, a sanctuary, thought to be a "safe space," and takes the lives of dozens, is beyond me.  But, we have to be careful that we do not allow the flames of hate to burn in our hearts.  This is lived out on social media posts, in which people are calling one another names and engaging in inflammatory comments.  The rancor rages, and people are no longer equipped, it seems, to settle conflict in a civil manner.  Why, even on Saturday, a U.S. Senator was attacked at his home in Kentucky - Sen. Rand Paul suffered 5 broken, or at least fractured, ribs in a conflict with a neighbor.  We must do what we can, whenever we can, to overcome evil with good.