HIDING IN THE SECRET PLACE
Kay Keith Peebles 10/29/2021 21.40
I don’t know if the children’s game Hide and Seek is played all over the world but there’s probably not a child in the U.S. who hasn’t played it. A group of children or a family can play the game. One person is the designated “seeker” and the others “hide” themselves hoping to keep the “seeker” from finding them. If you are found, you become the one who seeks in the next round. The winner of the game is the one who the “seeker” cannot find.
God hides Himself from us in order to cause us to seek Him. However, He does not hide Himself to keep us from finding Him. He hides so that those who truly want to know Him yearn for Him and seek Him with their whole heart. Seeking takes effort and when we pursue Him, the Lord sees who is serious about knowing Him and spending one on one time with Him. His Presence is the prize for the one who seeks.
“By night on my bed I sought the one I love; I sought him, but I did not find him. ‘I will rise now’, I said ‘and go about the city in the streets in the squares I will seek the one I love.’ I sought him, but I did not find him…Scarcely had I passed by them, when I found the one I love. I held him and would not let him go…” Song of Solomon 3:1-4.
Seek – Zeteo (Greek) signifies (a) “to seek, to seek for,” Matthew 7:7-8, (b) “to seek or strive after, endeavor, to desire”, (seeking, sought), of seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness, in the sense of coveting earnestly, striving after, Matthew 6:33, “the things that are above.” Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, page 558.
“Keep on asking and it will be given to you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8.
“But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.” Matthew 6:33 AMP. See Matthew 6:19-34 to understand the whole context of the scripture.
When we want to know something, we seek to find the answers. When we want to know someone, we seek to find opportunities to be with them. We find out what interests them, what they like to do and where they like to “hang out”. When we are no longer satisfied to simply know a little about God, we begin to read, study, meditate upon His Word, pray and seek His abiding Presence. To know Him is to love Him. To know Him is to understand His ways. To know Him is to find the Secret Place of His Presence. We learn to abide there not only in times of trouble, but daily in every circumstance.
His Presence is the place of peace and well-being; it is the place of protection and the place of revelation. Although everyone who is born again can abide in the Secret Place of the Most High, there are some requirements of the Lord for entering into that place.
“Who shall go up into the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His Holy Place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted himself up to falsehood or to what is false, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation [description] of those who seek Him [who inquire of and for Him and of necessity require Him], who seek Your face, [O God of Jacob…]” Psalm 24:3-6 AMP.
When we are no longer complacent, double-minded, or compromised in regard to our affections toward the Lord, and we seek Him through necessity because of our love and yearning for Him, we shall surely find His Secret Place.
So, how do we get into the proper position to enter the Secret Place of the Most High? How do we clean our hands and purify our hearts so that we find the abiding Presence of God? The first step is to repent for allowing unholy things to influence us which erode our faith in the Lord and His Word. Then, reading Paul’s Epistles (letters to the churches) is a great place to begin. The book of Philippians provides an insightful beginning. Philippians 4:8 says: “For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].”
“He Who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, My God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust.” Psalm 91:1-2 AMP. If we continue reading this passage, we discover once we find His Secret place and dwell there continually, the amazing blessings in the rest of the chapter will be fulfilled in our lives!
“For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. Then He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday…Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.”
“Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, there shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent…Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high because he knows and understands My name [has personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. He shall call upon Me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him, with long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.” Psalm 91:3-16 AMP.
Life can create turmoil, fear, confusion and doubt but being deeply grounded and tethered to the Presence of the Lord will not only support us in the time of trouble, He will uphold and sustain us! When we abide in His Presence, we will become overcomers. Rather than letting our circumstance overcome us, we overcome them! When we know Him, His nature, His character and His will, we will overcome the works of the enemy every time we are challenged.
There is another powerful scripture that parallels Psalm 91. It is Psalm 27. Both of these Psalms are powerful and comforting to anyone who is dealing with insecurity and fear. Their promise of His Presence and protection brings comfort and peace to those who put their faith in the Lord. They cause a yearning and deep desire to know Him to this degree. As you read the powerful promise of God, let the Word of Truth penetrate deeply in your heart so that your faith in Him will begin to not only grow but explode.
“The Lord is my Light and my Salvation—whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, [even then] in this I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me, He will set me high upon a rock. And now shall my head be lifted above my enemies round about me; in His tent I will offer sacrifices and shouting for joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.” Psalm 27:1-6 AMP. See entire chapter.
When we come to the Lord with clean hands and a pure heart the Secret Place of the Most High is available to us all the time. In the Secret Place, we are anchored by His Abiding Presence, His Word, His Light regarding the situation, and His Peace as we walk through the valleys in obedience to His direction. In the Secret Place there’s more than enough faith to see us through the battle. In the Secret Place His Unfailing Love affirms us as we trust in Him. Like Moses in the wilderness, the Lord hides us in the cleft of the Rock and sustains us as we rest in Him. Who shall abide in the Secret Place of the Most High, those who love to play Hide and Seek.
I want to close this word with a prophetic word the Lord spoke to me last night at church:
“I have given all my people hind’s feet so they can climb up to the mountain tops to meet Me in the high places. Like Moses ascended to My mountain I am calling My people to come up higher and dwell where My glory resides. I have said in My word ‘You are changed from Glory to Glory’. My people must learn to continue to ascend higher and higher upon (spiritual) Mt. Zion in order to minister to the people I will send to you. You will be able to grow in your capacity to dwell in greater heights of Glory. This is so that My power, wisdom and love will equip you to free My people from bondage and lead them in the ways of righteousness and holiness.”
Seek Me with your whole heart and you shall surely find Me in the Secret Place of the Most High.
