God promises to be a secret place of safety for us. King David understood this well. He sought God. He hid in God. He found peace, healing, and safety there. When challenges came, David didn't blame anyone; he knew right where to go to find refuge.
"He will conceal me there when troubles come;
he will hide me in his sanctuary.
He will place me out of reach on a high rock."
Psalm 27:5
We all need a secret place in God where we can find refuge. A place where we can run when we are hurt. confused. alone. sick. afraid. weak. depressed. nervous. angry. tempted. grieving loss. lacking wisdom. healing from divorce. fighting addictions. without hope. needing peace. If you have created this secret place with God, it's familiar and comfortable to retreat there at any given time. at the drop of a hat. in the middle of the night. when the doctor calls with bad news. when your world turns upside down. If you don't have this place with God, you can. Some folks only turn to God when a crisis hits, but that's okay. If you find yourself in the foxhole, you can ALWAYS CALL ON GOD. He welcomes you. He loves you. He's not mad at you. He wants a relationship with you. He wants to carve out a secret place with you that fits you and Him perfectly.
"I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hidden riches
of secret places, that you may know that it is I,
the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name."
Isaiah 45:3
If we don't run to God for our refuge, we will run somewhere else. It is hard-wired in us to seek relief from pain. Life is hard and we cannot navigate alone without screwing things up. We have two choices; follow our God nature or follow our sin nature. The world offers many options to help us find comfort, but any way we find to soothe ourselves, that isn't pleasing to God, will not provide the satisfaction we long for. God's ways promise to "fully satisfy" (Psalm 17:15). But here's the kicker about finding refuge even in the most holy way.....
It's on us to go there. When God speaks to us about the secret place, He uses verbs: run. pursue. hide. kneel. trust. ask. seek. knock. Just like all relationships, it takes work. time. prayer. faith. scripture. discipline. God is totally available, but it's up to us to pursue Him who is "out there" until He is "in here". God will not force any part of Himself on us. He loves us enough to give us the will to decide just how much of Him we want.
"His confidential communion and secret counsel
are with the righteous. "
Proverbs 3:32
The secret place is where God speaks to us. The wisdom of man cannot compare with the voice of God. In order to hear Him though, we have to be close. When I was working at a church in Dothan, I used to sign to my assistant when we were across the sanctuary from each other, or during a service when the music was loud. We were close enough to see each other, but too far away to hear each other. Communication is much easier when we are face to face with the One that has all the answers.
"You called in distress and I delivered you.
I answered you in the secret place of thunder."
Psalms 81:7
What makes the secret place so "secret"? Part of the definition of the word "secret" is: hidden, private, something kept from the knowledge of others. I think one of the greatest things about our secret place in God is that He has specific, personalized provisions for us there. I see it like a store, kind of like a general store, but smaller. You and God are the only ones allowed in. Not because He's being snobby or exclusive, but because the things in that secret place "store" are only for you. On the shelves, waiting, all packaged up, are things you need for what's going on in your life. God knows everything about you. all your needs. all your desires. all your struggles. all that hurts you. all your fears. In the secret place we receive from Him exactly what we need for our hearts. our circumstances. our purpose."He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
shall remain stable and fixed under the
shadow of the Almighty."
Psalms 91:1
