The Secret Place

 Psalm 91:1
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Where is this secret place? Jesus talks about a secret place. “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." The secret place is where you and God meet, it is the place where the world is shut out, the things of this world are put aside, and all your attention is given to worship and time spent with God. Prayer is not done like the Publicans who stand on the counter in the public arena and pray so that they may be seen by others. Dwelling in His presence is to constantly be aware that Jesus is the center and focus of what you do. In the presence of the Almighty,  we are careful what we say, how we act, and how we think. This is our permanent residence, this is home. We may not seclude ourselves in a literal closet, but the Holy Spirit abides in our heart, and we allow Him to dwell within us and we in Him. We can have confidence that whatever comes our way, we are in His care and He does what is good and best.

Where is the Water?

Ps, 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsts for thee, my flesh longs for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

Going through a dry spell spiritually? I would guess we all have been there. You may even be going through one now. Going through the motions of daily devotions. Reading the Bible, filling our heart and minds with truth, doing what is right, yet emotions have been dry and God appears to be busy working in someone else’s life. Going to church faithfully and thankful for a pastor that preaches the truth, but there are less people sitting on the pews than in the past. Where is the water? My heart is thirsty for the presence of God. Praying and waiting for God to open up the heavens and pour out His glory. Let the showers of blessings fall. May the rivers flow again. It is a desert place, but I long to see a stream of His presences.

Be Still

Psalm 46:10  Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Life moves so quickly and everyday is filled with things to do.  Finding time to stop and get still before God becomes even more important than ever. Getting to know God does not happen by accident. If we desire to know Him in a way that is personal, we need to find a place to be alone with Him. Take time out of our busy schedule to think on His power, love, mercy, and grace. Take time to praise Him for who He is and exalt His name. Put way the things in our lives that clutter our thoughts just for a moment, and let our heart be warmed by His presences. Solace is found when we can empty ourselves and let God fill us with His Spirit. Like a river, He desires to flow in us and through us. 

His Merciful Kindness

Psalm 117:2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.

It is hard to focus on the things that are good in life when all seems to be going wrong. A loved one is sick and maybe even terminal, relationships are strained between those who were once friends, the cares of life to provide food, shelter, security have been threaten. Where is the kindness of the Lord? Why is His presences seem to be so far away? We only need to look beyond the surface of our troubles to see that God’s merciful kindness is great toward us. I take no pleasure on looking on others that may be suffering, therefore I should be thankful. For even in their suffering, God has a plan for each life. Regardless of my plight in life, I only need look to God and be thankful for who He is and what He has given. Tho I may walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil or think no evil, for He is with me. He is my Jehovah, my provider, my shield and defender. In whom shall I fear. When the last page of my life is written, may it be said, that God is good and His kindness is from everlasting to everlasting. 

The Lord Is In This Place

Gen 28:16 …he said, Surely the Lord is in this place…

The presence of God is everywhere, He is not restricted by time and physical boundaries, He is omnipresence. But, there are times in our lives that His presence is especially noticeable. We sense His presence in the place of worship, He comes in a special way during times of private devotions, when it is just you and God. In the solace of your heart, His Spirit sweeps over you as a sweet aroma fragrance. You bast in His love and His glory is all around you. Jacob was afraid when God came, He was running and He knew that God knew what he had done, but we need not fear. We can come boldly to the throne of God and bow before Him and let His grace fill our lives. Yes, God is everywhere and knows everything, but having Him visit your heart and touch your soul is greater than gold and the honeycomb. Surely the Lord desires to visit you in a special way. 

Behind the Veil

Matt. 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

Behind the veil in the temple was the Holy of Holies. It was the sacred place know to the Jews where God’s presences was known. Only the high priest entered into this place, and only once a year. On the wondrous cross, in a spring day of the holy land, Christ was put to death by the people and the rulers of that day. Jesus, the God-Man, He who was without sin died to take on the sin of the human race. From the creation of Adam and Eve, to the birthday of a new born child in 2017, He died for you and me. The veil that separated man from God’s Glory was rent in two from top to bottom giving all access to the throne of grace. He paid the price that we may come boldly into His presence without fear of condemnation or judgment. He who believes that He died and rose from the dead is given power to be called the sons of God. Let us now walk through the rented veil and give Him glory, honor, and praise!

The Throne of Grace

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”-

God not only sees our situation, but He also understands what we face day to day. There is nothing that is hidden from God. We may think that God’s care has left us to defend for ourselves, but Christ, our great empathizer identifies with our need. His Word discerns the motive of our heart and see the cry of our soul. Because we are now a part of the family of God, made heirs to His riches in heaven, we can come without hesitation into the presences of God. In God's precence, we humble ourselves to Him, we will find that He is loving and gracious. Desiring to show us mercy and provide for us what we need. The throne of grace is not a place of judgment, but a place where we can have our needs met. To those who need forgiveness, comfort, or a physical touch, He is there to pour out His grace. We need not fear the presence of God, if we come Him in humility and submit to His tender mercies, He will be there to meet our every need.

Serving the Lord with Gladness

Psalm 100:2 “Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing!”

Serving the Lord, following Him is not always easy. Everyone in life faces situations in life that are hard. Those who serve the Lord will often face undue persecution because we live in a world that despised anything that rebukes their sin and lifestyle. The world is no friend of God and any friend of God is an enemy of the world. But serving the Lord is not hard when you know that He is always with you, even when the road is difficult to travel. Gladness is an attitude that God gives us when life gives us a lemon. We know that God can take something that is bad and turn it into good. Entering into His presence, wherever that may be with a glad heart. Know that He is the giver of all good things. rejoice and sing unto the Lord for He is Good. He is love, and His love is everlasting. Serving the Lord is not a chore when Gladness fills the heart.