Hide Not THY+ Face...

GARDEN CROSS
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ORDER OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD+
Year of Our LORD, 2007

Hide not Thy+ Face

far from me; 

Put not Thy+ servant away in anger. 

THOU+ hast been my help; 

leave me not, neither forsake me, 

O GOD of my salvation. 

Psalm 27:9

When do you "see" GOD ?  When do you "look upon" HIS+ Face ?  Is not this the desire of your heart ?

YES!

For you know this, if you could only see HIM+ face to face, all would be well. Your hurts would cease in His+ Presence, your fears be gone, your body healed, and the empty places in your heart filled. 

When THOU+ saidst, 

"SEEK YE MY+ FACE;" 

my heart said unto THEE+, 

"Thy+ Face, LORD, will I seek." 

You are enabled to SEE HIM+ by the HOLY SPIRIT, the Paraclete, The Divine SPIRIT of GOD Who comes alongside of you to help.  

When does this happen?

This happens when your heart lines up with His+ Will.

What is HIS+ Will for your life?  

      His+ will for your life is simply this:

  

Do not hide your face from HIS+.

When you are angry, go to HIM+... do not carry that burden yourself. Bring your intense concerns and upsetnesses to HIM+. 

HE+ sees them coming, before you do.

But, something CHANGES when you do not hide your angry face from HIM+.  

This is what changes:  You put yourself under HIS+ Divine Covering, His+ Divine Protection from your own angry flesh... and from satan using your anger to beget sin.  

Be angry, but sin not, Scripture teaches.

That sin, even if it does not immediately hurt others, will be an open door that satan will use to hurt... YOU!   

The evil one will send oppression, torment, unhappiness, agitation, and fear in to hurt YOU, through that door you have left open to him. The evil one does not know everything... but he knows what will hurt you and REST ASSURED, he will send it your way through every open door you give him. 

When you bring your anger to HIM+, HE+ will hear you out. HE+ will tell you to sit still for awhile with HIM+. Then HE+ will lead you through that awful valley of anger, until you can see: 

1. the hurt that made you angry 

and 

or

2. the pride that made you angry 

( when pride is stepped upon)

At that point, you must put it ALL on His+ altar, of His+ Will, to do with it all as HE+ sees fitting. 

When you surrender and completely yield to HIS+ Will, you will SEE HIS+ FACE shining towards you!

This is "seen" by the eyes of your heart .... usually !

Therefore, to live a peaceful, secure, and happy life: 

Hide not your face from HIM+ Who+ loves you best...

even when turmoils

beset your heart.

Anger is NOT an OPTION...

... but HIDING is .

THOU+ art my hiding place;

THOU+ shalt preserve me from trouble;

THOU+ shalt compass me about

with songs of deliverance.

Psalm 32:7

.

We all know how to love our enemies...

if they are outside the home.

.

But , what do we do when the hurt comes towards our heart

from within the intimate family circle?

.

And, where do we go when that hurt

occurs over and over again ?

.

THOU+ shalt hide them

in the secret of Thy Presence+

from the pride of man;

THOU+ shalt keep them

secretly in a pavilion

from the strife of tongues.

Psalm 31:20

.

Spouses hurt one another's heart. Siblings hurt one another's heart. Parents hurt the hearts of their children and off-spring hurt the hearts of their parents.

.

HURT,

because of the Adamic curse,

is HERE TO STAY

while we are in this body,

on planet earth.

.

Some counsel to "up-front" and "honest" with our feelings: i.e., "...when you do (or say) that, it hurts my feelings because...." However, in my own tumultuous life, I have seldom seen honesty like that do anything but cause MORE problems, no matter how calmly it is shared.

.

A better way is to follow The LORD'S COMMANDS: turn the other cheek, go the second mile, return a soft answer.

.

THOU+ art my hiding place

and my shield:

I hope in Thy Word+.

Psalm 119: 114

.

However, in the midst TAKING the hurt... when our heart is bleeding or breaking... it is good to HIDE IN CHRIST+. No immediate verbal response is necessary when we HIDE IN CHRIST+.

.

For in the time of trouble HE+

shall hide me in His+ pavilion:

in the secret of His+ tabernacle

shall HE+ hide me;

HE+ shall set me up upon a rock.

Psalm 27:5

.

We learn to scurry under the shelter of His+ Wings and take refuge there until the storm is overpast. When we HIDE in CHRIST+, we learn to let HIM+ do the battling; we are silent. We leave the battle in His+ Hands.

.

Keep me as the apple of the eye,

hide me under the shadow of Thy+ Wings,

Psalm 17:8

.

We cry out to HIM+ in our anguish, for protection. We start forgiving as soon as we collect our wits, even in the midst of the verbal attack. We learn to do spiritual warfare in the midst of the hurtful attack and silently BIND the evil spirits at work, in the name of The LORD JESUS CHRIST+.

.

By doing all of this, our hands and our hearts will be too full for us to indulge in our own anger, which only aids and abets the enemy who is attacking us.

.

If we slip into an angry reaction,

we are NOT HIDING IN CHRIST+;

we are on our own in the battle.

.

So, we must repent if we think anger is an "option" when we get hurt.

.

We must learn to

HIDE IN CHRIST+.

.

+ + +

HIDING IN THEE+ ...

O safe to the ROCK+ that is higher than I,

My soul in its conflicts and sorrows would fly;

So sinful, so weary...

THINE+, THINE+, I would be

THOU+ blest ROCK of AGES...

I'm hiding in THEE+.

Yes, THOU+ blest ROCK of AGES...

I'm hiding in THEE+.

hymn by William O. Cushing

O LORD JESUS, teach me to run to THEE+ at all times, to hide under the shelter of Thy wings. When I am fearful, let me run to THEE+ for instruction. When I am tearful, let me run to THEE+ for counsel. And when I am joyous, may I run to THEE+ to rejoice! THOU+, Who+ has known fears, tears, and joy deeper than I can imagine... or endure... , be pleased to strengthen me, this Thy frail and hidden child. I will ever give THEE+ thanks, O LORD, my ROCK+ and my Deliverer+. Amen.