Secret Place

Do you have a secret place where you go to be with God? Jesus did. He climbed up on the mountain of olives “as usual” Luke 22:39 tells us to pray to His Father in heaven. In Matthew 14:23 Jesus went up on the mountainside to pray. He went to a “certain place” to pray. Jesus had a secret place, to get away alone with God.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). What an incredible image of a place to find and hide in shelter. This psalm continues to describe the secret place of God in verse 7 "You called in trouble, and I delivered you;

I answered you in the secret place of thunder;

I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

This place was probably Mt. Sinai from which God spoke and presented His tablets of 10 Commandments.

Do you have a place you go to hear from God? I do. The primary place is in a chair in our basement where I meditate on God’s word, journal and pray. Some keys to this special place include time and heart. I set aside this time every day. I bring my heart in alignment with Him through repentance of sins and submission to God. However, I must say that I am not always very good at listening. In 1 Samuel 3:10 Samuel goes to the place where he heard God’s voice and said, “”Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”  Additionally I have found an additional place in motion. I have been developing a morning discipline of bicycling in the predawn darkness with lights on. This time offers almost complete darkness, except the magnificent starry sky. At 5AM there are no other riders and usually no cars. It is a time alone with God for me. I start by finding words of praise or thanks. These words spread into song. The Holy Spirit brings to mind words and melody. This new habit of singing God’s word keeps Satan away and brings joy.

One of my favorite psalms also presents our secret hiding place, “For in the time of trouble

He shall hide me in His pavilion;

In the secret place of His tabernacle

He shall hide me;

He shall set me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:5).  Can you imagine that God will hide you in His secret hiding place to protect you? I love that He will set me high upon a rock.

I have spoken of preparing our hearts and setting the time in our secret place. We also need to find solitude and silence. This separation is vital for Intimacy with the Almighty, as relates a book of the same title by author Chuck Swindoll.  This serenity with God is an awesome experience. And now I have found that I can find it in motion that has fluidity or cadence like bicycling, walking or jogging provide. By the way, I have found that morning is the only time of day when this solitude and silence can be more easily found.

It is important to identify the need for endurance and patience in this discipline. “As high as the heavens are above the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9). God’s timing and responses are seldom ours. His ways and answers are better than ours. He knows our needs as opposed to wants.

So find a secret place and go and meet with the Lord in intimate presence and His peace.