Sun, Sep 2nd - 8:14PM

Dwelling in the Secret Place with God

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  Ps. 91:1

            There is a place to which a soul can go that is truly secret between him and his God.  This place has no physical description because it is located in the realm of the spirit, and not of this present world.  The world around us is a hostile place, and yet it has a provision of physical comfort, safety and security for its inhabitants.  The price, however for these are very costly, and when obtained at the expense of one’s integrity they prove to be quite inadequate in fulfilling the deepest needs of the soul of man.  When the world bestows its favor and its blessings it always requires something in exchange, some bit of one’s character, some piece of a man’s soul.  All along this path of deception to supposed prosperity and happiness moral compromises are exacted with the promise of the ultimate attainment of fulfillment in this life.  But, the end of such a journey inevitably proves that the high price paid brought nothing but disappointment, un-fulfillment, emptiness and ultimate ruin.

      There is, however, a place of security and safety available for all to find refuge from the hostility of this present world.  Only those possessing a true meekness and a willingness to relinquish all of the accoutrements furnished by the world can find the way to this secret place.  The pilgrim is welcomed there, but he must leave all his worldly trappings behind in order to enter in and abide in it.  Like the world’s place of security and supposed comfort, there is a cost, but the thing obtained is definitely worth the cost of so much rubbish to be shed from one’s life.  To dwell in the very presence of the living God and continually receive  spiritual nourishment from Him in order to be sustained in a barren and famished land is, indeed worth all of the meager pride, lust and evil temperaments inherent in one’s old, worldly nature.

       Why is this a secret place, since wisdom calls out to every passerby on every street corner?  They are willfully deaf to her cry.  They cannot hear because they will not hear.  Their ears are stopped by their own fingers inserted intently therein.  Their eyes are blinded by their own hands covering them, and they run eagerly toward the precipice over the chasm of destruction.  Those voices that call men to salvation are suppressed, and those calling are rejected and persecuted as they reach out with the word of life to them.  But the few that find the way to this special place are amply rewarded for their search.  The turmoil continues around them, but peace is theirs as they hide in the very eye of the storm of life.  Temptations come in a constant stream to allure the pilgrim away from the place of safety.  But, the shadow of the Almighty rests clean over him and calms his fears as a nursing mother caresses and soothes her helpless child.

      It is, indeed a secret place because no one else knows about it, either its location, or the many benefits it supplies for that one who would dwell there.  Those who hear and begin to seek for this place, must when they find it, determine to remain in it no matter what may come, no matter what the cost.  They must realize the value of what they have found, and derive their steadfastness from an understanding of this value.  They must see that there is no  other place worth inhabiting.  The enemy of their soul will exert all his mighty influence to pull the pilgrim away from this place of safety and rest, but the truth established in the pilgrim’s mind will anchor him, and enable him to resist these false advances.  If only the world would know and see, and believe that there is such a place, a place where fears are allayed, where hurts are healed, where restlessness and turmoil are calmed.  But, they will not; they cannot! 

      It remains, therefore for those who see their need of this abiding rest to enter into it and safely and happily remain there.  The door is open to all.  Let those who hear the call to enter in come and abide till the storms of this life are past, and the danger is no more!

Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Matt. 11:28

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.  Heb. 4:1

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his.  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.  Heb. 4:9-11

There is a place of quiet rest, Near to the heart of God;

A place where sin cannot molest, Near to the heart of God.

There is a place of comfort sweet, Near to the heart of God.

A place where we our Saviour meet, Near the heart of God.

There is a place of full release, Near to the heart of God.

A place where all is joy and peace, Near to the heart of God.

O Jesus, blest Redeemer, Sent from the heart of God,

Hold us, who wait before Thee, Near to the heart of God.

                                                                                                                 hymn by  C.B. McAfee