“The Secret Place”
January 22nd, 2019
Do you have a secret place where just you and the Lord meet? A place set aside, a secret place where only you and the Lord know. This place is where you meet one another and catch up and share and there is an ongoing dialog?
I have discovered just such a place.In this place, His heart and mine are shared. My repentance and remorse, regret, and sorrow are all intertwined and mixed together. Many times feelings of absolute loss and past moments of failure are beyond earthly words and yet knowing who I am seated with gives life and value and meaning.
Other times there are no words expressed but the loving communication continues and just being in His Presence is more than enough! When lovers are together, they do not talk incessantly, there are moments of silence when just being with them is Heavenly.
I wish to share about my secret place with you.It’s located on a rocky shoreline with high clefts to my right and the sea to my left. The shoreline is full of large rocks but our particular meeting place is up on a large boulder about 10 feet high, about ten feet across looking out over the ocean. And is on a rather magnificent black quartz boulder with a smooth top. There is a reflection of light coming off its surface that causes it to shimmer and sparkle at times.
The view is breathtaking from this place, the sea is churning and crashing down upon the surrounding rocks. This is almost symbolic of the world in its condition.
The sunlight shines through the ocean mist causing small rainbows and the sea birds are in flight. More and more, this has become a place of safety and rejuvenation where I look forward to each day if only for a few minutes. It allows the muscles in my body to completely relax, my emotions to calm and my mind to prepare for our fellowship.
When I walk up from behind our rock, Jesus is already sitting there. He has his knees pulled up to His chest with His arms overlapping them. He is quietly looking out over His Creation. And as I climb upon the rock behind Him, He always smilies and lovingly says to me,
“I’ve been waiting for you”. It is as though He is more interested in me than I am about my own self.
I sit down next to Him and in that moment, His rest overwhelms me. Peace permeates my soul. I always say to the Lord, “Lord, I hope you never get tired of hearing me say how much, I love you!” When I sit next to Him, He always places His left arm over my shoulders and with his left hand on my shoulder, He draws me into Him.
When this happens I remember the words of the Apostle John, the one who loved Jesus. When John rested his head upon Jesus, in my heart, that is the exact image and feeling I experience. There is nothing else like this time. Every moment with Him is enlightening, confirming, revealing and accepting, all without conditions. Since He knows the end from the beginning, my every thought, motivation, word and action was known before I was.
When we say I love you to our spouse or children or dear friends, it speaks volumes about our commitment to that one however when speaking to the God of the Universe, it takes on a whole new meaning.
Even when we are the most downcast and sorrow invades our soul and hope begins to wane, these are the times we are most desperate for Him. I once heard the Spirit say,“Desperation is the price of admission”. And in Jeremiah 29:13 it states the following.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with “All” your heart.
As we begin to review the riches that have come down from the Father of Lights, those things He has brought into our lives, an attitude of gratitude begins to bubble up and flow from deep down within us. And as we begin to express that gratefulness to the Lord, and joy invades the sorrow just as light invades the darkness and the darkness is overcome by the light. Joy replaces the ashes of the past and His Joy becomes our strength once again.
Dear one, emerse yourself into the loving arms of the One who loves you most.With all that is occurring on a daily basis, so many distractions, unimaginable unrest is at every door. If we focus on these things it will drain us from every good thing He has designed for us.
Do not harbor those things that do not encourage you!Do not receive those things that do not bring life!Do not compromise even with the little things!
You have such great worth and to allow the enemy to siphon off your strength with chaos and calamity is akin to committing spiritual suicide. What we eat, we become, what we hear around us chips away at our soul. Renewing yourself in the Lord is paramount to retaining your joy.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,
think on these things. Phil 4:8
You must carve out time from your schedule, find time to meet Him in your secret place. We know we are seated with Him in Heavenly places. And if you begin to imagine yourself in a peaceful place of His beauty and chose to meet Him there, you will recharge your inner man.
If you do not have that special secret place where only you and the Lord meet, I encourage you to find such a place. This is not just your happy place, this is where you meet the Lover of your soul, the One who loves you more than you love yourself.
This daily time will become more and more precious to you and as you come upon the Rock, you will hear the Lord gently invite you up and will lovingly say to you, “I’ve been waiting for you”.
Blessings to you and your house,
Steve Grable
Jeremiah111.org