Strength in the Secret Place

What does your “secret place” look like? Is there a certain time of the day you like to linger there? Is there something special you like to do? Does your mind ever wander to images of the Garden of Eden in wonder of what it must have been like for Adam and Eve to fellowship with God before the fall? For some of us, maybe a particular location comes to mind, and for others, maybe it’s just the overwhelming feeling you get whenever you can simply steal away to be in God’s presence. Although you may have a favorite “spot” you physically enjoy going to, the secret place is not so much about where you abide physically as it is where you are spiritually in proximity to the presence of God. Yes, it is important to plan time to be with God, and we should make it the priority of our day to which everything else is scheduled around. Experiencing intimacy with Him in the secret place is not something that should happen by chance or accident, but it should occur regularly, and even multiple times throughout our day.

Psalm 91:1 affirms, “He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 61:2 also assures us, “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Jesus is our rock! Not only do we find security and rest in the secret place, but we also draw strength from being in His presence. I want to encourage you to find yourself constantly running to your secret place no matter what life brings your way. The more challenges you find yourself facing, the more time you should make to be alone with God. A strength-exchange occurs every time we are in His presence. He fills us again and again, giving us everything we need to live the kingdom life he has called us to walk out daily.

So what does the secret place look like? It is amazingly as unique as your personal relationship with Christ. It is beautifully tailored specifically for each of us. There is no cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach to how we should spend our time with God privately. He wants to show each of us things about us and Him as we frequently find ourselves in fellowship with Him. And even though we may all experience commonalities because we are brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, we each share a special place of intimacy with the Father that allows us to be exactly as He has created us to be. This means that we each can respond to His presence in our own individual way as led by the Holy Spirit. What freedom! You never have to compare your place with God to someone else’s. The more we get to know God for ourselves, the more sacred and precious our secret time with Him becomes. Being with Him becomes our chief focus that puts everything else in its proper perspective. When it is all said and done, abiding in the secret place is all that really matters. Will you find the secret strength He has waiting just for you? Yes you can and yes you will…run to your secret place in Him!