Hidden...

Where was your favorite "hiding place" growing up?  Did anyone ever discover your spot?

I shared on the last posting about the wonderful book written by Mesu Andrews, "In the Shadow of Jezebel"; which really got me to thinking and pondering.  Always God uses these books to get me into His Word to discover new ideas or thoughts for Him to grow me.

I've been digging deeper into this story and a few things have crossed my mind.

First, the bravery of Jehosheba, which her name means "the word of her oath".  A young woman that was raised by a very evil woman who murders her own grandchildren!  I know women that all I hear about is every move their grandbabies make and this woman murdered her own grandbabies!  (friends don't stop sharing, I want to hear the stories because I love them through you!)  I want you to visual just how evil this woman truly was...Athaliah daughter of Jezebel, who was even worse than her...I'm telling you this woman was bad to the bone! Yet, Jehosheba to save the line of David  had to make a very brave decision.  Enter that home grab a baby less than a  year old and find a safe place to hide him and a nurse.  Imagine, the absolute chaos surrounding this house with murders happening, the guards not knowing who to trust or what to do, do you think it was noisy or quiet with all the death and then you have a woman desperate to save a little baby. Would we be able to think at all, much less to save a baby? She had to wonder will I survive, yet she had a plan.  Would we be this brave?

Jehosheba was safe in the temple with her husband, Jehoiada, yet she goes to the home of this evil woman to be an instrument in God's plan!  She was willing to say "Yes LORD"  ~ I will go.  Are we willing to get out of our safe zones to go where we are called?  It's not always pretty.  It's not always safe.  It's not always what we expect.  Will we allow God to use us in a danger zone or in a safe place?  Will we respond with Yes?

Next, the thought really rolling in my head is this little guy was hidden.  I read in several spots that she hid him in a chamber of mattresses.  The photo above shows newer mattresses, but he was in a room that might have appeared like this one.  Ceilings peeling, not the normal room in the royal palace, no a storage room.  After all, she didn't want him found.A child this age will cry and make noise where would you hide him?   She had to hide this baby until she could get him to the temple to keep him hidden there for over six years!  Do you think, sometimes we are suppose to keep some things hidden until God wants it out?  I don't know if my thought process is clear, but I keep thinking everybody thinks we need to get it all out in the open.  Whatever that might be...but perhaps we aren't suppose to until God tells us to share it.  Do we share sometimes for our own reasons and not for God's planned purpose?

Hidden keeps coming to me.  The original Hebrew word used in this text means "to withdraw or hide".  Perhaps we are to withdraw from something and God is asking us to simply pull back.  I'm not sure, but I am going to continue to explore what God is saying to me or perhaps to share with you.  

I do love it when God uses these wonderful books to get my brain churning and exploring His Words deeper!  Allow Him to churn your brain in perhaps a whole new way!  Dig deeper and at the same time grow closer to Him....I just had a nudge from The Spirit as I write...yes, if my words are hidden in you...we grow closer!  So today Hide His words in your heart!  Hide His Stories in your soul and grow in relationship with Him.

Sweet blessings,

Debbie