In the Secret Place

Psalm 91:1 NKJV

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

 

Song of Solomon 2:14 AMP

[So I went with him, and when we were climbing the rocky steps up the hillside, my beloved shepherd said to me] O my dove, [while you are here] in the seclusion of the clefts in the solid rock, in the sheltered and secret place of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.

Psalm 91 talks about the protection that we get from being in the secret place of the Most High. We’ve all heard teaching about how to enter the secret place and how to abide there. Spend time in praise, spend time in worship, welcome His manifest presence then stay there. My question lately has been, once I get into the secret place, what do I do?

If I think of the secret place as a place where two close friends come together to have fellowship and share secrets, then it clues me into what should happen there. Some might say well, once I get into the presence of the Almighty I’m going to war against all of His enemies and mine. Is that all the secret place is about?

Others might say, when I’m the secret place I pour out my heart to Him and I talk to Him about my needs and prayer requests. I can’t imagine a couple sitting at a romantic dinner then all of a sudden one spouse whips out a clip board and starts to go through a laundry list of issues that need to be solved and the latest problems that just came up. Nothing about that seems intimate or secret.

One day, I stumbled upon Song of Solomon 2:14 in the Amplified version and I found the term “secret place” again. The Beloved is speaking to the Young Woman (the Bride) and He says, “….while you are here…in the secret place…let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely.”

Ok so let me get this right, once I’m in the secret place my Beloved just wants to look at me and hear me talk? Wow!!! That’s weird. I don’t know about you but it made me feel uncomfortable to think that Jesus loves me that much. When we have our quiet time He just wants to hear my voice and look at my face. To Him, it is sweet and lovely. No binding and loosing, no songs of worship, no exaltations-just intimacy. Just be-ing is enough for Him. Wow!

© Solape Osoba 2011

Living Worry-Free

I have found that as humans we focus way too much on things we cannot control. I’m not talking about contending for healing or financial breakthrough. We should continue to pray persistently until we see the Lord’s promises manifest. But there are certain circumstances in our lives that have to be handed over to the Lord. We just have to trust Him to come through for us. In those areas, people (however well intentioned) always seem to try to get us to fret or worry.

Or worse yet, they suggest that we take things into our own hands.

Why should I worry about something that I have no control over? If I worry then I find myself in the pit of despair and self-pity. When that happens I am no longer living under the light and revelation of God’s ever-present goodness and power in my life. Then I become highly un-resourceful; unable to encourage myself or bless the people around me who need it.

I’ve decided to just shrug my shoulders at things that other people choose to take on as burdens. I give them all to my Lord and Savior. He’s good at carrying burdens. “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7 NLT

Why is it so important that we give our cares to Jesus? Well for one, the bible tells us that there are those who will receive a great word from God but the cares of this world will choke them out.

Mark 4: 18-19 NLT

The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.

I want to produce fruit, don’t you? So, I have to be on guard against any worry that would try to crowd out the seed of God’s word in my heart. I want His promises to go deep and produce a mighty harvest in my life.

© Solape Osoba 2011 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.