At times I read books of the Bible like the Psalms and think: What kind of experience prompted these words? I recently faced some trials that may have rightly answered that for me.  When I read Psalm 27- I understood it anew and ringing true to my experience.

Psalm 27:5 reads, “For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock” (ESV).  Life has brought me a series of circumstances where I am in need of God’s sheltering in a way that I had not needed before.

This part of Psalm 27 does not speak of God being a strong tower or fortress (as the Bible accurately describes elsewhere). This speaks to a certain intimacy: a tent covering.  A tent is temporary and transitory; it’s enough for a specified amount of time before it needs to be moved or a more permanent structure is warranted. At the time Psalm 27 was written, I’d assume they’d be made of animal skin or handmade fabrics carefully stitched together. They’d be designed to keep out the elements: sand, wind, and the sun for a while.

This verse remains me of those hide and seek memories as a child, when I was smooshed between clothes in the back of a closet waiting nervously. I felt the softness of the fabrics pressing against my skin on all sides. God’s care is this intimate.  We can be concealed under His tent covering in our day of trouble. We can hide in Him.  He will lift us out of our trouble and safely place us high on the Rock.  He offers a place of hiding.