Learning from the Hyrax

You might have heard your enemies say to you, “You can run, but you can’t hide”. What if you are too feeble to run or your enemy is faster than you? You may have circumstances in your life, from which you can’t run away. You may have enemies waiting to destroy you. You feel helpless and you don’t know where to run. Here’s the secret; when you are too weak to run, you surely can hide.

Most people think that fighting back at your enemy is bravery, whereas running away and hiding is cowardice. The answer lies in discerning whether to fight or flight. David hid in the caves to avoid Saul’s jealousy. David was the bravest person in Israel, he killed Goliath with a slingshot and a single stone.

The success is not solely based on hiding, it is based on where you’re hiding. Real estate rule number one is location, location and location. If you can discern the correct location, you are a winner all the time. A wrong location could mean you are only buying mud. If you can hide in a place where your enemy can’t find you, you are safe, but if you’re hiding in the wrong place, you are only making it easier for your enemy to catch you, while you become easy prey.

Hyraxes are small animals that are often mistaken for rodents, but are closely related to elephants. They are grey in colour, which helps them hide between the rocks and make them invisible from their enemies. Hyraxes–they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks (Proverbs 30:26 NLT).

As long as the hyrax is sunbathing on the rocks, it is difficult for anyone to see it, as it is the same colour as the rocks. When a predator attacks the hyrax, it quickly hides in the hole within the rocks. Hyraxes find their security in the rocks. Although they are weak and can become an easy prey to the predators, they survive and thrive.

A hyrax knows its weakness and the hyrax knows where to hide. If it wanders away from the rock, it will be hunted down. Wisdom lies in understanding one’s weakness and deciding where to hide. If the hyrax hides under the bush, it will become a prey. Its safety lies within the rock.

Our security lies with Jesus, The Rock. If we wander away from Him, our life is in danger. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold (Psalms 18:2 NIV).

We all have some strengths and weaknesses within us. The key to success is to assess ourselves and to know how to use it for God’s glory. Some people have great strength, but lack wisdom. Their pride and rage leads them to a life behind bars. What’s the use of muscle power with no will power?

This is a famous quote from Spiderman, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” This is true in real life too. Whatever power you have, if you have no self-control and integrity to go with it, that power will destroy you. If you are a man with great power, work on developing self-control. It’s better to walk away than to act in rage.

When we hide under the shadow of the Almighty God, we become more and more like him. Our strength, character and fortitude is drawn from Him. When we acknowledge Him as the Lord of our live, He protects us, guides us and delivers us from all our enemies.

When you face any troubles in your life, you know where your security lies, you know where to hide. Many people run to other people for help. Some figure out their own way, but wiser is a person who finds his refuge in God, The Almighty. The one who seeks counsel from the Holy Spirit, the one who meditates on God’s word day and night, the one who gets on his knees and prays and hides under The Rock of Ages.

There are times when God wants us to fight the battle and times when the battle belongs to the Lord. When the Lord fights the battles for us, all we need to do is hide under His wings. Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust” (Psalms 91:1-2 NIV).