As I walked into my bedroom, my eye caught something that brought a big smile to my face.
Andrew, who will be three in July, spent the night with us, and stayed until lunch-time the next day. Andrew is full of life and loves, loves, loves to play. Andrew loves toy cars. Papa keeps some small cars in a bag for Andrew to play with when he is at our house. Andrew knows exactly where the cars are, and upon arrival, he will almost immediately open the drawer to retrieve his toy cars.
Papa was not home the morning Andrew was hanging out, and I tried to fill in for him. (Andrew loves to play with Papa.) I was kidding Andrew that those were my cars. He’d respond, “No, they are my cars.” We kiddingly went back and forth. Those cars are precious to Andrew.
After Andrew went home, I was putting away toys, and straightening the house. I walked into my bedroom, and something caught my eye. On my bed is a decorative fabric liner. Peeking out from the edge of that liner were Andrew’s cars. He’d hidden them so that I could not get them. He knew that the secret place, the hidden place offered protection for that which was precious.
Andrew found a secret place.
Most of us have a place we live, a place we sleep, a place we eat and a place we work. But, do we have a secret place?
The Psalmist said, “He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” – Psalm 91:1-2.
Life has seemed heavy to me recently. Thoughts and concerns have bombarded my mind and spirit. I have found myself restless, not sleeping well, and eating all wrong. The reason for these things is that life is trying to steal the things which are precious: my peace, my hope, my joy, my faith, etc.
By personality, I tend to turn to comfort food in challenging times. There, I said it! This “preacher” girl is imperfect. By nature, when things are hard, I can run for the chocolate! After all, that will certainly bring me peace, hope and joy! NOT!
I have learned that I must run to my secret place. I must run to a place where it’s just God and me – a place where God can do what only God can do. The secret place is not a place to run in and out of occasionally. The Psalmist understood that it is when we dwell in the secret place, that we learn to say, “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God, in him will I trust.”
Today, where will you eat? Where will you sleep? Where will you work? Where will you meet God?
Andrew discovered that the precious things cannot be taken from us, when we find the secret place.
Thank you dear lady!! So spot on! There are so many distractions, personal and ongoing in our nation and world!! Yes, the only place of true peace IS dwelling in the ‘Secret Place’ of the Most High!! We know, or say we know, this and yet why is it so hard to stay there, be there. Why do we allow ourselves to ‘get’ distracted – a situation that leads to restlessness, uneasiness, a churning in the belly, undisciplined eating, sleep habits that are unhealthy. We ‘do know’ where our help comes from BUT it does take some ‘closing ourselves in with GOD’ in an ‘aloneness with Him’ that has no comparison! If there’s ever a time I need Him to as my refuge and fortress, ‘my God’, in Him will I trust!!