The Way To The Secret Place

Psalm 91 begins with “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (NKJV). Most other translations use the term “shelter”, and a few others use “protection”. But I have always liked “secret place” because in my opinion, it better reflects the relationship God wants to have with us. In his presence, just him and me.

What is the “secret place”? What is “the shadow” of God? And how can we dwell, or live there?

What is the Secret Place?

I love the word pictures like this that appear throughout the Scriptures. The term “secret place” may evoke childhood memories for some. Like a place to think or imagine. For some unfortunate children it can be a place of shelter, protection from abusers. For many adults, it can be a place to unwind, to escape responsibility, to relax.

The writer of Psalm 91 refers to God’s “secret place”, where he casts his “shadow”. The rest of the Psalm reflects the protection and shelter that he provides.

The secret place is also a place of power. It’s where God connects with his people and begins to do what he wants to do. Every revival in history started in the secret place. Saints met with God and asked him to move, and he did.

Jesus Had His Secret Place

Jesus knew the importance of this concept. Many times he would rise early, and go to lonely places (his “secret places”) to pray to his Father. And he told his listeners in Matthew 6:6, “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” The secret place.

Again, in Matthew 23, Jesus, at the end of his diatribe against the scribes and pharisees, calling them many not-so-nice names, said the following. “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” The image of a hen gathering her chicks under her wings, like dwelling in God’s shadow!

David Knew The Secret Place

When David was hiding out in the wilderness of Judah, he wrote Psalm 63. In verses 6-8, he said “I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help. In the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.”

In the lonely place, the desert, he found his secret place with God, and sang for joy in his shadow. He clung to God, upheld by God’s right hand.

God’s Right Hand

The writers in the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms and Prophets, often use terms like “God’s right hand”, or his arm in some cases. I take this term as a reference to Jesus. After all, when he ascended back to heaven he returned to his place at God’s right hand (Ephesians 1:20). The right hand is a symbol of God’s power and presence in our lives. In the secret place, as David was, Jesus meets us and holds us up.

The Way to the Secret Place

At the end of Psalm 63, verses 14-16, David gives us God’s perspective. “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Hold fast to him in love. Call to him. And as James 4:8 tells us, “draw near to him, and he will draw near to you”. As David meditated on him in the lonely night watches, and as Jesus went to lonely places to pray, we can find our secret places.

My Experience

I’m a morning person. I get up early, get dressed, pour my coffee, and go to my secret place. It’s my “inner room”, where it’s just me and God. I read his Word, I pray, and I write some of those prayers in my journal. I spend about an hour there.

Sometimes I get specific direction for things going on in my life, and other times it is relatively uneventful, except for the power of his Word. I really love to read the Word of God. Whatever happens, my day goes on from there, and my mindset and attitude are more focused on the things of God. This habit is now ingrained in me as my top priority when I start each morning.

I have had the same habit for years, although it is much easier now that I am no longer working full time. I encourage you, reader, to make every effort to establish and spend time in your secret place. If you’re not a morning person, seek him in the “night watches”. There is no experience in this world like experiencing the presence of God. Don’t let anything stop you from drawing near to him! He is all that is truly needed. See my article Only One Thing is Needed.

Finding and maintaining your secret place is a discipline. It doesn’t come naturally, because we are so easily distracted by things in this world. It’s something we have to choose to do. However, I have also found that though the discipline of going to that place was hard sometimes, it eventually turned into delight, and joy.

The Secret Place Anywhere

Notice that the first verse of Psalm 91 says “dwells” and “abides”. This means that our secret place isn’t a one time event during the day. God wants us to live there. If we define the secret place as the place where we meet God, under his shadow, then it could really be anywhere. God is everywhere we are. We could experience the presence of God in Times Square at noon. It’s a matter of tuning into his presence, practicing his presence. That’s how we live, dwell, and abide in the secret place.

I find that my defined, scheduled, regular time and place to meet God is a foundation. Because of this foundation, it is easier for me to live in the secret place throughout the day. Of course none of us can do this every minute of every day, but the more, the better!

Joy!

David said that he sang for joy under the shadow of God’s wings. He also said this in Psalm 16:11. “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Seek Jesus, go to your secret place with him, worship him, sing to him. He will speak to you if you listen, and he will fill you with joy. Then continue to live with him all day. It’s what we will experience all the time in heaven, so start practicing!

Amen.