John 16:33b:
ln the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

  God's Word uses the word tribulation for pressure, affliction or distress. I am not talking about the kind of pressure, affliction, distress or tribulation that comes upon us because we are running late for an appointment or we overcooked the chicken or did not study hard enough for an exam. I am talking about the kind of tribulation that is produced by evils. In our common day speech, we would use the word trouble. God uses the word trouble also.

Psalm 27:5:
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 hide me; he shall set me upon a rock.

Pavilion=booth, hut, dwelling
Tabernacle =booth, hut, fence
Rock=metaphor for God as a refuge, a place where one is safe from their enemies, refuge, shelter, protection.
Hide=to cover over, especially the face, hiding effaces, the turning of eyes from something disgusting or abominable, no eye contact.

  God is very clear that in times of trouble we are to hide in Him; not hide because of fear, but hide for protection. God will take us into His dwelling, put a protective fence around us, give us refuge and shelter, and hide our faces and eyes from disgusting and abominable things. When we are troubled where do we turn? Where do we flee to escape the trouble?

Psalm 143:9:
Deliver me, 0 Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me (Hebrew: hide me with thee.

  Everyone knows I'm sure that the best way to communicate with someone is to make eye contact and look directly at their face. The adversary knows this also, and will attempt to establish some form of communication with us so that we become pressured, afflicted, distressed or troubled. The key to avoid this is to not make eye contact with him. God tells us that if we turn to Him, He will hide us and hide our faces so we do not have to look the adversary in the eye. Remember playing hide and seek as a child? Well it is no different today; it is still being played on a spiritual level. Who is seeking? Who is hiding?

I Peter 5:8:
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

  Who is seeking? The devil is seeking. Who is hiding? We are hiding, or at least we should be. knowing that hiding ourselves with God is our utmost protection and escape from trouble.

Proverbs 27:12:
A prudent man forseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on and are punished.

Psalm 32:7:
Thou art my hiding place; thou shall preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

  When something is valuable we hide it so others don't find it. When you leave a spare key to your home or car outside, do you leave the key in the lock or do you hide it in a safe place? If you go on vacation and leave valuables at home do you leave them in an open, easy-to-see area or do you hide them? We put value on things and the more valuable something is, the more we do to protect it. What about our lives? Do we value our lives as believers to take the necessary care to hide ourselves in God? We should hide God's Word in us and then hide ourselves in Him.

Psalm 119:11:
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Psalm 119:114:
Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy Word.

  When we feel the adversary trying to infiltrate our lives, let us foresee the evil and hide, take refuge, in the pavilion of God while He preserves us from trouble.

Bless you,
Bob Fallen Park Ridge, New Jersey