“Out of Hiding”
Steffany Gretzinger’s song “Out Of Hiding” has been stuck in my head, and my heart, for the past week. The lyrics are soaked in biblical truths and share a message of hope and restoration. I believe it is also very fitting for the mission of Chester County Women’s Services so I thought it would be good to share with our readers.
The song, written from the perspective of God, goes like this:
“Come out of hiding
You’re safe here with Me
There’s no need to cover
What I already see”
I am reminded of Psalm 139 when I hear these lyrics. Verses 13-16 (NASB) say this, “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance, and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.”
God knew and ordained each day of our lives before we were even born. He sees our hearts; he sees the parts of us we try to hide from everyone else. There’s no use for us to try and hide them from Him. We don’t have to pretend we’re something we aren’t because He sees us and loves us as we are. He made us with care and love.
“’Cause I loved you before you knew it was love
And I saw it all, still I chose the cross
And you were the one that I was thinking of
When I rose from the grave.”
Romans 5:8 (NASB) says this: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus died for us while we were still at our very furthest from Him.
“Now rid of the shackles, My victory’s yours
I tore the veil for you to come close
There’s no reason to stand at a distance anymore
You’re not far from home”
Hebrews 10:19-22 (NASB) says this: “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” (Read the full chapter for better context!)
“And now I’ll be your lighthouse
When you’re lost at sea
And I will illuminate everything”
Psalm 119:105 (NASB) says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” The thing about this lyric and verse is that God does not promise to illuminate everything for us all at once. The lamp that the Psalmist would have used is about the size of the palm of your hand and it only illuminates one step at a time. This illustrates that when we are walking with the Lord, He might only give us enough understanding and assurance to take one step at a time. Or sometimes, His presence and guidance might feel like just a glimmer in the distance, beckoning us to follow in faith when we don’t know our surroundings. But He will always be there to guide us along the way.
I urge you all to listen to the whole song, think about the lyrics, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFkDqQtfs0w and dig into His Word for yourselves. I hope it encourages you all as much as it has encouraged me.
H.L.