Have you ever heard a song and thought, “That is just what I needed to hear right now”? That happened to me recently. I was bustling around the house here after the holidays, decorations to come down, bedrooms to clean from house guests, etc, and then the words hit me! The chorus of this beautiful a cappella song say, “Hide me away, O Lord. Hide me away, O Lord. Oh in the day of trouble ‘neath the shadow of Your wing, hide me away, O Lord.”

Do you ever feel like you just want to hide away? Perhaps the “let-down” after the holidays effects you? A recent factoid from Facebook revealed the the first Monday in January is the biggest day of depression for people in the United States. It’s back to work, holidays over, guests gone, decorations down-you get the drift here. But are we, as Christian women, letting this creep into our minds also? The words of this song helped bring me back to having a godly focus. Was I too busy scurrying around that I had neglected time with my Lord? I love the illustration given in Matthew 23:37 of God wanting to shelter us, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wing. We have an awesome shelter from the storms of life, all we need to do is go to Him. “Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness…” Matthew 6:33

I am convinced that it is vital for godly women to dedicate a time of prayer every day. We really should “hide away” and speak with our Father, before we get overwhelmed. Sometimes this may even mean hiding in the bathroom for a few minutes to be alone. As Moms, you know they will find you, but you can probably sneak in for just a few minutes until they do! Each woman will have to decide when that time will be, but the point is to MAKE that time.

Remember Daniel? He was known for going to his roof chamber and praying three times a day, Daniel 6:10. Our Lord also, when He was on the earth walking with, and teaching His disciples, was known for heading to the Mount of Olives to pray (Luke 22:39 and Matthew 26:30). Another passage tells us, “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you” (Matthew 6:6).

The pattern that I see here is that people are going away from the hustle and bustle so that they can speak one-on-one with the Lord. I wonder why I get so frazzled sometimes, and then I realize I haven’t spent time in the Word, or with my Father. We might not have a roof chamber like Daniel, or a garden, like Jesus, but we can probably find a quiet closet or bathroom that works just as well.

Let me take a moment here to encourage all the preacher’s wives out there. This is the start of a brand new year, and it’s also a great time to refocus your mind-wherever the Lord has taken your family. Never forget these words, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things” (Romans 10:15). You and your husband have devoted your lives to sharing the message of salvation to a needy world, and God describes your feet as beautiful! You will have all sorts of people to work with, and some will not be as nice as others, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need the message. When our family came to work with one congregation, they had been through a terrible split, and several preachers had come and gone; they were “wounded.” I felt sad and discouraged that no one seemed to want to get to know me personally. But then I had to step back and realize that I was looking at the situation through my eyes only, and not theirs. No one wanted to reach out to another preaching family just to be “burnt” once again. What we all needed was time to heal, and then slowly build up our bonds as a church family. The old adage, “time heals” is so true. Over time, and by spending time with those brothers and sisters in Christ, we grew closer, and the “wounds” healed. Scars will remain, but we learn from them, too. I learned to be a better listener, and to find out the needs my sisters had, and then to keep them in prayer. Bonds were then formed that cannot be broken by distance.

What are you wanting to hide away from sometimes? Whatever is going on in your life, it is not more than what you and God can tackle together. What comes to my mind is the woman in Matthew chapter 9. Remember how she was thinking, “if only I touch His garment, I shall get well” (Matthew 9:21). What an amazing example of faith this woman is! She had hemorrhaged for 12 long years and was seeking healing that only the Lord could give. We should strive to have this faith, dear Sisters in Christ. We can’t physically touch the fringe of His cloak, like she did, but remember we are “clothed with Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27). We have given our hearts to Him, and now have the security of knowing His love is there for us 24/7.

There is no reason to fret about trials we face, instead we should be “casting all our anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Make a daily appointment with God and hide away to talk to Him. It’s the one solid connection we have that will never be severed– unless we sever it.

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus”
-Romans 8:38-39

Robin Martin
Robin and her husband work with the church in Rosemount, Minnesota. She feels extremely blessed to have been given 7 children and 11 grandchildren. To God be the glory!