In this stormy world we perpetually need a hiding-place, a shelter from
the storm, and a covert from the blast. And so in the great prophecy of
our Lord and Saviour revealed in Isaiah, we read of Him, “A man shall be
as an hiding-place from the wind.” {34a} But three centuries before
Isaiah uttered that prophecy David had learnt to hide under His care, and
said of Him, “Thou art my hiding-place.” {34b} The trouble from which he
was hiding was deep conviction of sin. In consequence of his sin the
hand of God had been heavy upon him day and night. But at length the
guilt of his great sin had been blotted out, and as a forgiven man he
could find shelter in the very God against whom he had transgressed. He
could hide himself in the love of Him against whom he had sinned, and
instead of finding the Lord’s hand heavy upon him, he could rejoice in
the thought that there was a wall of praise around him. Now just in the
same way our life is said to be hidden with Christ. “Your life is hid
with Christ in God.” {34c} It is not exposed to the rude shocks of the
outer world, but is hidden with Him. As _He_ is unseen, so _it_ is
unseen; but as _He_ is safe at the right hand of the Father, so is _it_
safe, being laid up in perfect safety as a sure deposit in the
everlasting fidelity of God. It is on the safety of this deposit that
our whole life depends. If there were the slightest doubt about it we
should be like ships drifting on the wide ocean without either chart,
compass, or anchorage. But now we are safe because indissolubly bound up
with the Saviour, and so completely is our life identified with Him that
in the next verse He is described as “Christ our life.” He holds our
life in His right hand. He is the source, the fountain, and the main
spring of it all, so that we can well understand the words of St. John,
“He that hath the Son hath life.” {34d}