Psalm 91 - Study 2 - The Secret Place
We read in Psalm 91:1, He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (WEB)
It is a natural instinct for man to hide when faced with danger. We live in a time when hovering over us is a colossal threat of a pandemic, which has filled mankind with fear and dread. However, sadly it seems we have nowhere to hide except in the confines of our homes.
Hiding from God
· Adam and Eve hid from God
This inclination to hide was evident in man from the very beginning of creation.
We read in Genesis 3:8,In the cool of the evening, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking around in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees in the garden. (GW)
Adam and Eve were in perfect peace, health, and harmony as long as they walked in obedience to God, and were in line with His plan for all of creation. However, when they disobeyed God to eat of the forbidden fruit, and stepped out of His will, the consequence was that they were fearful, and hid from God. Instead of acknowledging their sin and disobedience, Adam and Eve blamed each other, and tried to conceal themselves from the presence of God.
Have you noticed how we too hide from God only when there is sin in our lives? If we have hidden our sins and evil deeds from the Lord, the time has come for us to repent, confess and get right with God.
· Elijah hid in a cave
We read in 1 Kings 19:9,There he went into a cave and spent the night. Then the LORD spoke his word to Elijah. He asked, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (GW)
Elijah was a zealous prophet of God, who was brave enough to stand before kings. However, He was so disheartened by the threat of Queen Jezebel that he fled, and hid in a cave.
Many people are hiding from God because of discouragements they faced. The troubles, trials, hardships and failures we encounter are reasons why many shy away from having a relationship with God. The devil is a deceiver from the beginning, and his goal is to mislead us to think that we can conceal our sins from God, and to hinder us from having a relationship with Him.
The Psalmist had a wonderful revelations of who God is. He said it this way in Psalm 139:7, Where can I go to get away from your Spirit? Where can I run to get away from you? (GW)
David was a worshiper of God, anointed by God, and with a deep understanding of who God was. David sang songs of praise to God, no matter what his circumstances were, whether he was distressed, challenged by hardships or was in a joyful situation. David therefore knew that there was no place to run and hide from God, for the Spirit of God is present all over the world, and nothing is hidden from His sight.
These are the words of God Himself as recorded in Jeremiah 23:24, "No one can hide so that I can't see him," declares the LORD. "I fill heaven and earth!" declares the LORD. (GW)
God fills the heaven and the earth, and He sees everything. Therefore, no one, not even powerful governments or authorities can conceal anything from Him.
A great number of people today are so busy hiding behind money making, merry making, partying, holidaying and humor to conceal who they really are. All of a sudden there has been a halt to all partying, and we are quarantined to the confines of our homes. We wear masks and plastic smiles to hide who we really are. So many are paying, and flocking to stand-up comedians, who they hope will with their amusement help lighten the burdens they bear. The fact of the matter is that these delightful amusements can never satisfy man’s deepest longings or alleviate his burdens. If any of us are hiding behind these masks, covering up our sins, it is time to repent and get reconciled with God.
This is a loud call of God to the whole world, but also to the church in particular. The Lord wants the church to give up all that is formal, lifeless, Spiritless to become the body of Christ that God intended us to be.
Hidden in God
The Psalmist says in Psalm 91:1,He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (WEB)
Here the Psalmist is encouraging us to dwell in the secret place of the Most High or in other words to hide in God. We can do either one of these two things; hide from God or allow ourselves to be hidden in God. To be hidden in God is the safest place anyone can be in, for there the enemy loses his power, and no darkness, sickness or ill can befall us.
What must we do to be hidden in God?
· Accept that we have tried to hide from God and repent
We read in Luke 15:21, Then his son said to him, 'Father, I've sinned against heaven and you. I don't deserve to be called your son anymore.' (GW)
These are the words of the prodigal who walked away from his father. He did not understand the privilege of being at home with his father, and shunned his authority. When he came to the end of himself, lost everything that was his, he came back to his senses. With penitence he returned home to his father, acknowledged that he had sinned, and was no longer worthy to be called a son.
There are those of us who have wandered away from God, and like the rebellious son have been doing our own thing. We have not understood the entitlement that is ours as children of God. When we repent and return to God, He accepts us and promises us His protection.
What happens when we return to God?
· Our life is hidden in God
We read in Psalm 27:5, He hides me in his shelter when there is trouble. He keeps me hidden in his tent. He sets me high on a rock. (GW)
The Psalmist is reassured with the thought that God hides him in the midst of trouble. He keeps him hidden in his tent, safe from his enemies and then sets him up on a rock.
Here’s God’s word of comfort that not only does He protect us, He is also the one who lifts us up when the troubles are past.
We also read in Colossians 3:3, You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (GW)
And in Colossians 3:4, Christ is your life….
There are three words I wish to highlight, died, life and being hidden in Christ from Colossians 3:3.
The prodigal son had to die to his self, to his selfishness, and return to his father to receive the restoration as a son. The call of God to each one of us is to allow our sinful self to be dead, and to come back to the Lord. When we do so, Christ will become our life. We lost our lives, and were doomed to destruction because of sin. Jesus took our place on the cross, and He experienced death, so we could receive the eternal life that we had forfeited.
There are numerous challenges that we are faced with today. These are uncertain times when the economy is crumbling, health of many are dwindling, and money is losing its value. The Lord is speaking loud and clear calling to everyone, to come back to Him. If we will allow our sinful self to be crucified with Christ, we will find the abundant life that is available only in Him. The secret place of the Almighty God, is the place of complete safety and security.
When God delivered the people of Israel from the cruel hands of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, He made a clear distinction between those who were His people, and those who weren’t. If we desire to experience that same favor we must get back to God, repent that we have mishandled our earth, our resources and our lives. Let our lives be hidden in Christ, so that we can experience the peace, safety and security that can come only from the Most High God.
Prayer :
Our loving Heavenly Father, we thank you that we have a place to hide when we are faced with danger and it is a secret place that is not accessible to the enemy. We thank you for being our hiding place at this time of trouble. We love You Lord for Your faithfulness. We pray in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
Pastor Dixon
Transcribed by : Sis. Esther Collins
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