(May 08, 2025) Dr Richard Winter shares a vital challenge…

I’m sure that most know the story of Anne Frank… the young Jewish girl who hid in a secret hiding place in a Dutch house in 1942 hiding from the Nazis during the occupation of the Holland. Two years later Anne was discovered and tragically died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945.

And there’s the fabulous true story told in the book titled The Hiding Place about another Dutch girl, Corrie ten Boom. It tells how Corrie and her family’s courageous act of hiding Jews during the Nazi occupation of Holland in World War II.

Their life was disrupted when the Nazis begin persecuting Jews in Holland, leading Corrie and her family to become part of the Dutch Underground, hiding those in danger. They are eventually captured and sent to concentration camps, where their faith helped them endure the horrific conditions.

Possible Advice
When life and times are tough and we need a safe place to retreat to— where will you hide? Let’s take some biblical advice given by young David who was destined to become a king.

At one point he found himself in a difficult time of life and David was evidently advised to run away and hide in the mountains. However, Psalm 11 tells what he did instead… something we all can do too in our troubled times.

• A lot of people want to hide! ‘Mountainous territory’ or somewhere.
• Would hiding in mountains or living off the grid be the best choice?
• And… is ‘living off the grid’ really safe?
• What about off the grid problems of which there are many?
• Will even running away ‘somewhere’ today really solve life difficulties?

David’s response to the advice he was evidently given about running away was to say, ‘I’ve already run for dear life straight to the arms of God. So why would I run away now?’ (Psalm 11:1Mge).

Have you ever thought of not only where would you go if you need to run away and hide, but about who would assist in hiding you?

Particular Advice
David’s best advice is to run into almighty God’s strong arms! Have you got it, dear reader?

Relationships are our most valuable possession. It’s with people, not things or places. So where do you go when it’s a tough life? You go to those who love you and will help you. Material possessions won’t speak words of love and hold us, we all need people, not riches, cars, drugs or buildings!

The Bible says there is one special relationship for which we were created. This is the most valuable treasure of all. It is worth selling ‘everything’ in order to get hold of it.

It’s believed that friends, anxious for David’s safety, had urged him to flee from Saul’s persecutions to the mountains. But David clarified where he would hide and who would hide him: ‘In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain”’ (Psalm 11:1NIV).

Each one of us can take David’s advice even at the most difficult time of our life— and experience the intimate presence of God— God is our refuge in times of stress.

Emma Turl’s old hymn says it all and I quote here only part of the first verse based on Psalm 46—
Our refuge and our strength is God, sure help in every trouble;
Though earth gives way and mountains fall, yet we will fear no evil.
And though the mountains quake and shift beneath the roaring waters,
The Lord almighty’s our defence.

Positive Advice
Read Psalm 11 again! David starts it by saying, ‘In the Lord I take refuge’ (v1). He then finishes by focusing on a relationship with God, with the promise that the upright ‘will see God’s face’ (v11). Message Bible reads: ‘God’s business is putting things right; He loves getting the lines straight, Setting us straight. Once we’re standing tall, we can look him straight in the eye.’ 

There is no safer place, nothing more valuable in life and nothing this world offers that can compare with the intimate presence of God in every area of life. Run to God and stay in His arms of love and protection because nothing and no one is more powerful than God!

So how does that apply to us today? What do you have to do to be safe in the arms of God? I draw your attention to Matthew 13, a chapter that highlights life’s thorns and thistles and weeds that need to be dealt with if good seed is to survive and produce an abundance. Let’s discover a parallel to troubles in life…

Now we all know it can be tough to just live in this world— most of us have experienced difficulty: Sickness, poverty, financial stress, marriage difficulties, kid problems, people in general, unexplained traumas (such as ‘Why did I get hit by that car?’)… no doubt you have your own list!

Jesus had been teaching using several parables by a lake for quite a while and Matthew 13:36b–58 tells that when He  returned back indoors with His disciples they asked Him to explain what the weeds parable  was all about.

In answering them Jesus actually explained three parables that were really about life, about how the world is! (v38).

Parable Advice
The world is like a field and parable number one tells about a field planted with seeds and the normal expectancy of a good crop. But— in the field there are weeds as well as good seeds. A query arises… where did the weeds come from because no farmer plants a good crop and weeds at the same time!

Jesus’ answer is not about agriculture but an understanding about the world and life! He explained it like this—

• The field is the world (v38).
• Pure seed planted are kingdom people (v38).
• Destructive weeds are people planted by our enemy the devil (v38-39)!
• The crop will be harvested by angels and weeds pulled up and burned in the fire (v40).
• The good seed ‘will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father’ (v43).

There will be an end-time harvest when good and bad people will be separated. There is a coming judgment for all evil and God’s people will inherit His kingdom!

And what is the kingdom of heaven be like? That’s a reasonable question and Jesus answers it like this in another three further parables—

(i) Hidden Treasure Parable
‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field’ (v44). This was a surprise find!

(ii) Pearl of Great Value Parable
‘… the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it  ‘(v45-46). This was a search find.

(iii) The Net Parable
Jesus tied those two parables together with one more…

‘Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’(v47-50).

Pointed Advice
Then He asked a rather pointed question—  ‘Have you understood all these things?’(v51). Or, as the Message Bible puts it: ‘Are you starting to get a handle on all this?’

Verse 43Mge had already been a ‘shooting from the hip’ challenge: ‘Are you listening to this? Really listening?’ Now Jesus again challenged His disciples very clearly! It’s like what I said above regarding young David’s advice— ‘Have you got it?’

Well, have you, dear reader?

Today Jesus is asking these same questions that are very relevant to us! There is enough evil in the world and more than enough evil people. Christians— the good seed— need to know God’s word and be sharing it, seeding it out there!

Some people are desperately searching— and then find Jesus. Others, like me, almost stumble into finding Him. But once you have found the treasure it is worth giving up everything else!

So between the parable of weeds in the field and the parable of the net, Jesus tells us about discovering the kingdom of God (v44–46).

The only difference between the two is that in one case the person was actively searching (v45), and the other seemed to stumble across it (v44). In both cases, there is something of enormous value ‘treasure’, and ‘fine pearls.’ In both cases it was worth selling everything to get it. When you find this treasure, ‘true joy’, and ‘great value’ are also to be found.

Positive Advice
The kingdom of heaven is all about knowing its King. It’s about Jesus and how you respond to Him. How everyone responds to Jesus really matters both for this life and beyond. This is your treasure worth selling everything to obtain it

Incidentally… when you consider all the evil in the world, do you ever wonder why God doesn’t deal with it straight away and get rid of it?

In the parable of the weeds the servant wants to pull up the weeds, but his master refuses (v28–29). It’s a case of not now… it will be done later on. The separation will come at the harvest with judgment. Jesus warns about the fate of those who cause sin and all who do evil: He says of the weeds that His angels will ‘pitch them in the trash’ and ‘cull the bad fish and throw them in the garbage’ (v42, 49b-50aMge).

He promises on that day that you ‘the righteous’ (made right with God through Jesus and genuine repentance of sin) ‘will shine like the sun in the kingdom of your Father’ (v43)!

It is your relationship with God that causes you to shine even now… and one day like the very sun in the kingdom of God.

• God won’t allow the destruction of all that is evil just yet.
• He wants to gather all the wheat into His barn.
• He deliberately allows a delay until ‘the end of the age’ so that more people have time to respond to the good news about salvation through Jesus.

Back to David again— there were times when he was down; his soul felt empty. He was honest and open enough to talk about the challenges: that he knew the answer was to flee into the refuge of God.

David faced great opposition from those who repaid good with evil and attacked him. You also may be facing such opposition from certain individuals, even slander and malicious mocking.

There may be times when your prayers don’t seem to be heard. There may be failure— for we all stumble at some time. We can feel we are walking with the Lord quite happily and then suddenly we stumble. There may be times when we fail to meet our own standards, let alone God’s!

Pressing Advice
If that’s you, then be like David— run to God! Hide in His word, obey His commands; His presence in your life in the most important relationship that you can have!

Whatever your circumstances, learn from David: ‘I’ve already run for dear life straight to the arms of God. So why would I run away now?’ (Psalm 11:1Mge). Don’t run to the hills and live off grid and out of a God relationship!

This relationship with God is the most valuable thing in the world. This world is not your home and God will empower you to live though life’s weeds times.

So let’s conclude with a few questions—

• Are your circumstances far from ideal presently, that you feel confined by them?
• Do you wish you were in a different job, different place, different relationship. Or…?
• Are you hiding somewhere… not from some Nazi-types, but from our loving, caring and forgiving God Himself?

Prayerful Advice
Inside of resorting to ‘hiding somewhere off grid,’ how about praying along these lines:

‘Lord, thank you that a relationship with you is the pearl of great value. Keep me close to you and help me to avoid anything that draws me away from our relationship.

‘When things seem to be going wrong and there are trials and temptations, I can know that you are with me and I can experience your blessing on my life!

‘And Lord, today I want to see your face. I ask you to satisfy the deepest longings of my heart with your intimate presence.’

No more hiding! No more seeking to live off the grid! Run into God’s arms and discover the —

Got it?
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Dr Richard Winter pastors The Connection Church, Huntington Beach, California. Link: OnlinerConnect@gmail.com  
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