The Secret Place
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1
What is a secret place, but one which is not known except to those who KNOW where it is and USE it for its purpose. Biblically speaking, the “secret place” has existed from before time, when in the mind and heart of God it existed. That which has been revealed to men, specifically those who truly believe in God, is that it is a provision of God for man, where the Almighty, and wondrous Savior and Lord, waits to commune with man. It is not so much a physical place but a spiritual one, as worship is not only a practice in a particular location, but one which is beyond the physical to what is of the Spirit and truth. And yet, there are places of quietness, solitude, aloneness, where the seeking soul can find God, worship the Father, and know that God waits there to reveal Himself by the Spirit to the heart and soul of the believer. It is in that place of worship that the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Spirit, become a reality. It is there that the eternal soul of man, with all the needs of his existence, can come, be forgiven of his sins, his burdens removed, and he be given a consciousness and conviction of the presence of God, especially as the believer pours over the Scriptures, finding God to be exactly as He declares Himself to be. It is there, as the Spirit of God leads the individual in worship according to the truth of the word of God, that He witnesses to the heart and soul of man that God is true, present, and very real. It is there that the Spirit of Christ teaches the believer the great truths of the faith, revealing to him the unsearchable riches that are in Christ, the things that only the Spirit can communicate giving knowledge, understanding, and making them real. It is there also that the Spirit of Christ stirs up the soul to rise from its “littleness of faith,” its dismay at the opposition in the world, its weariness of the spiritual battle, to be renewed, revived, and refreshed from the consciousness of the presence of the Lord. And also, it is there that the seeking soul finds God in a new and fresh way through the God-breathed scriptures, those living words communicating life and power to the heart. The fire of faith is rekindled in that place of communion with God, and a renewed vision of the Father, Christ, and the Spirit, is given so that as faith is strengthened, there is the deepening of communion with God. The secret place is all of this and so much more, for it is by God’s design with an eternal purpose. Where is this place, this secret place of which the Psalmists spoke, and the Lord Jesus would reveal to His disciples, and to all who would follow Him to this present day?
In Psalm 90, Moses makes it very clear what the secret place is. It is God Himself. He writes: “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting You are God.” (v.1,2) In Psalm 91, we find where the secret place is also, “…the secret place of the Most High,” that place of His dwelling, where He IS and where He may be found. For David, He would write that the one thing he would seek would be to, “…dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.” David’s “secret place” was both a literal temple of stone, but also, the place where God was. The Lord Jesus made it clear that the “secret place” was a place of aloneness with God where the Father sees and will reward openly. (Matt. 6:6)
Dear Father, Reveal Thyself to us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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