Divine Claustrophobia

Thankfully, claustrophobia is not something I suffer from. In fact, (and this might seem strange!) I tend to like tight places.

Now I suppose there is some sort of psychological link in there somewhere having to do with insecurities or something of the sort, but I'm the guy that likes the covers up around his neck; who has no problem with a bunk bed having only a few inches of vertical clearance! Give me tightly tucked sheets and call me when you need someone to explore a crawl space; no problem.

Now perhaps you're reading this and just hearing these descriptions has caused that familiar tightness in your chest and shortness of breath! You're beginning to feel heart palpitations at just the hint of a tight fit! But, let me advocate for a divine claustrophobia. I think it can be a good thing!

David, in Psalm 139:5, ascribes this characteristic to God. He says of God,

"You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me."

Now, honestly, I was reading this Psalm in search of making a different point than this, but the wording of verse five stood out to me as never before. My "word geek" mentality pushed me to look up the Hebrew word translated hem  by the ESV. The word there, tsuwr, means "to cramp, confine, enclose..."  David ascribes this action to God in his life. You might say, this is a sense of divinely appointed claustrophobia; being "hemmed in" by God.

And while we generally look at that as a negative, I see it as a positive. I see it as a protection. He says "behind me, before me, I'm surrounded by you: stitched into the fabric of your divine guardianship." One commentator expands that thought and ascribes the rest of verse five to the protective covering as well as blessing from the hand of God ("...and you lay your hand upon me." 139:5b)

So, just in case your circumstances today have you feeling vulnerable; exposed or "hanging out there," know that claustrophobia, divine claustrophobia, is a good thing. God hems you in. God has you surrounded and tightly enclosed so that nothing can harm you!