Brothers and Sisters - I wanted to share with you today a reminder. A reminder of our secret place. Have you found it? When was the last time you were there?
It todays world we are constantly faced with things that are stressing us out or making us feel anxious, worried, or fearful — the internet, TV, podcasts, social media — reading, listening, and watching are likely to make you feel this way. COVID 19 and the economic fallout, politics, social unrest, end times biblical prophecy fulfillment have many people feeling confused, more worried and anxious than ever before.
I felt that it was important to remind you of the 'Secret Place' that we can go to. The place God created for you and I which allows us to be in his presence. When we spend time with Him and give him the things that burden us, He, without hesitation begins to remove our grief and in return provide us with the comfort, love, and protection that we have been searching for.
This secret place is a place where you can rest with God, be refined by God, healed by God, protected by God, and loved by God. It's somewhere where you will find yourself often, and no one can touch it. It's beyond magical. It's the only place that will truly give you relief from all of the hardship you face. Time in this place will give you hope of tomorrow. and will grow your faith in the promise of salvation through our savior Jesus Christ!
I encourage you to start searching for this secret place, I guarantee once you find it.. You will never want leave.
Now what is our 'secret place' described in the Bible?
Now when it comes to the term "secret place" it appears in the Old and New Testaments and most often refers to the way our soul is in relationship with God.
For example, Psalm 27:5 says, "For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock." This "tent" of God is, of course, not a piece of camping equipment or ancient desert dwelling. This is the word cether in Hebrew and refers to a place to hide or be concealed—a secret place.
That is the picture the psalmist is painting in Psalm 91. God has a secret hiding place, and He invites each of us to join Him there. Notice that He does not invite us to visit. The promise is to those who “dwell” there. To “dwell” means we live there. It becomes our address. God invites us to pack up and move to His secret place. To do so we must walk away from the clamor and enticements of the world. We must be willing to quiet our hearts before Him and allow Him to investigate those inner recesses we reveal to no one else. Secret places imply honesty and trust. We cannot join God in His secret place unless we are willing to be transparent and honest with Him.
The idea of a secret place originates with God. Because He is Spirit and His glory is beyond our ability to perceive, we must meet with Him in the secret places of the heart in order to commune with Him. When Moses wanted to see the glory of God, the LORD explained that no man could see God and live (Exodus 33:20). So God allowed Moses to see His glory only from a secret place. In Exodus 33:22 God said, “When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.” Here God gives us a glimpse into what we must do to experience the presence of God. It can only be enjoyed when we enter His secret place.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:6, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” Jesus was not necessarily indicating a physical location, because we can pray anywhere at any time. But to really connect with God, we must enter into the secret place in our own spirits and meet God there. Quiet locations help, and we should seek solitude when we want to spend uninterrupted time with God. It is also helpful to have a designated place we go to spend time with God. Jesus did this while on earth. Although He often prayed in public, He also slipped away from the crowds and even His closest friends to spend time alone with His Father in solitude (Mark 1:35; Luke 4:42). But the secret place that Psalm 91 describes is not a physical location. It is a state of spiritual rest that prevails, regardless of outward circumstances.
Although a secret place can refer to a physical location, it most often connotes a state of a soul in its relationship with God. Psalm 27:5 says, “For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; / In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; / He will lift me up on a rock” . The psalmist is not referring to an actual tabernacle or tent in which he will hide from physical enemies. He is speaking of the state of peace God gives in the midst of trials, attacks, stresses and worries.
What Jesus Says..
Jesus set the example by often going away from His followers to spend time alone with God (Mark 1:35; Luke 4:42).
In the New Testament, Jesus instructs us to go to a quiet place, a secret place, a room with the door shut when we pray (Matthew 6:6). He is not telling us, necessarily, about a physical location to pray, but a secret place in our lives set aside for one-on-one time with God—a place of solitude.
Why the 'Secret Place' is important...
Psalm 91:1 gives us a good illustration of the value of a secret place: “He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (KJV). Think of the secret hiding places we enjoyed as children. Imagine being ten years old and finding a secret hiding place under the stairs or in the honeysuckle bushes. You slipped inside, and it felt magical! You felt safe and protected from the world. You imagined that you could live there all the time and no one could find you. Often, you invited your best friend to share it with you, because secret hiding places are better shared with someone you love and trust.
When we spend time with someone, we learn more about them, and even begin to become like them. When we spend time alone with God, we learn more about Him and it is also a way He transforms us to become more like Him. Spending time in our "secret place" with God is one way of choosing the Spirit over the flesh (Romans 8:5-8). When we do that, we have more of a heavenly, eternal perspective. We find the ability to remain thankful in all things (Ephesians 5:18–21).
There is great benefit from dwelling in “the secret place of the Most High.” When we choose to leave behind the world’s delights in favor of a lifestyle of spiritual devotion, God draws near in new ways (James 4:8). We begin to see our sin the way He does (Isaiah 6:1–5). Time spent in the presence of God reveals our true thoughts and selfish motivations that might otherwise escape unnoticed. From this secret place, the fruit of the Spirit takes root and grows (Galatians 5:22). We start to see our lives from an eternal perspective. Earthly frustrations lose significance.
We do not have to neglect our responsibilities or relationships to dwell in this secret place. The key to moving there is a total surrender to the Holy Spirit and the will of God for our lives. This decision dominates our actions and changes our outlook. As we obey, God meets us in His secret place (see John 14:21). He teaches us and encourages us to remain. Our continual choice to surrender fully to Him results in His continued strength to do so. If our lives are to bear lasting fruit, the power to bear that fruit comes from time spent with Him in the secret place (John 15:4–5; 1 Corinthians 3:14–15; Psalm 92:12–14).
How to get to the Secret Place...
There is but one secret to reach the secret place of the Most High: seek Him.
Knock and the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7)
Seek Him and you will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:3)
Draw nead to Him and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8)
There is no qualification period with the Lord. There is no certain look you must attain.
It is simply…
those who come to Him will be fed. (Psalm 22:26)
Those who thirst for Him will be satisfied. (Matthew 5:6, Psalm 107:9)
Those who listen for Him will hear. (Matthew 11:15; apply John 10:27-28)
This secret place, where we meet with God one-on-one, is where we should find ourselves often. Psalm 91:1–2 says, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" Abiding in God, we find shelter, refuge, and fortress. It is in the secret place that we are most vulnerable with God and most deeply experience His intimate love.
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