DWELLING IN THE SECRET PLACE
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Last weekend students that I teach at the Bible College graduated after two years of intensive preparation for ministry and I am glad to welcome them as new members of this Forum. At the same time, last week I was in the north of England recording 29 short talks for UCB Christian Radio.
Here I am at the latter end of my years of ministry doing new things – writing and radio work and they are just starting out in ministry. It made me think – if I could recommend just ONE thing in order to stay the course, to those of you who are either just beginning or in the early years of ministry, what would it be?
Psalm 91:1 came to mind:
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
Dwelling in the secret place of the Most High is the lifelong secret of enduring to the end. In life and in the ministry in particular, there are, and will be, many ups and downs. We are living in a fallen world where there are snares, pestilence (v3), terrors in the night, and arrows by day (5) and we are not immune from these things, but the promise of Psalm 91 is that the Lord will save us from these things - IF we make HIM the refuge and fortress of our lives. The Psalm says that if we do that, we will have three levels of protection.
Here they are: A Shadow, Feathers and Angels!
SHADOW (v1) People who live in the blazing sunshine really appreciate the shelter of the shade but shadows only protect us from sunburn or at worst, skin cancer. However, for those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High God, there is the protection of the SHADOW of EL SHADDAI and that is protection indeed because Shaddai means ALMIGHTY! We have the protection of the All – Mighty, All Powerful God - and if God be for us who can be against us!
Then there is the protection of HIS FEATHERS (v4). Years ago I heard of a preacher in America who was invited to the mansion of a multimillionaire who took great pride in taking the preacher to see his underground shelter built to protect him and his family in the event of a nuclear war. It had cost millions to build, but the millionaire felt that he had the best protection that money could buy so he was a bit surprised when the preacher told him that he had something much better than that. So the millionaire asked him what that was. The preacher said “feathers” (referring to Psalm 91) and as you can imagine, the millionaire laughed out loud. But the preacher was right, if the LORD is our refuge and fortress (v2) His wings overshadowing us give the best protection ever!
There are a few occasions both in my own life and in the lives of others that I know, when it seems like ANGELS have been active but I can’t be sure. However what we can be sure of is - if we need one, an angel will be available “to keep you in all your ways” – that is, if we dwell in the secret place of the Most High. As the commentator in the Spirit Filled Bible says: “When we make the Lord our refuge and habitation by trusting Him – taking our cares, fears and needs to Him, by seeking His counsel, spending times of refreshing with Him and walking closely with Him through every day, we enter into a sheltered place of promise.”
Every member of the church is a minister and some have very specific ministries that require full time work. Whatever you are doing, whether it’s paid or unpaid service for God, we all need to maintain the closest relationship with God all the days of our lives. All we need to be effective and fruitful to the end, is to dwell in the secret place with the Most High and He will protect us!
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty (and here’s the promise)…
“Therefore I will deliver him, I will set him on high, because he has known my name. He shall call upon Me and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation!” (v14-16)
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