Lingering with God

August 30, 2018

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty...Surely he shall deliver you from the snare...”Because you have made the LORD who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you.” (Psalm 91:1, 3, 9)

For generations, these words have comforted believers in times of trial. I’ve read them dozens of times, but this morning in our men’s prayer group, that little word “dwell” leapt from the page. A number of wonderful promises are found in this Psalm, but there is a condition for receiving them. We must dwell in the secret place of the Most High, which poses a problem for many of us. We visit that place on occasion, but do we really dwell there? Do we even know what that secret place is, or where it may be found? The mystics and monastics invest hours in silence, in worship and song, that they may find the key that opens the door to that secret place. Instead of a lingering hug, we zip in for a quick kiss on God’s cheek and just as quickly we are out the door and on our way to whatever has grabbed our attention at the moment.

I must confess that it’s been awhile since I really settled in. Dwelling means we’ve made this secret place our home; we aren’t merely houseguests; we belong here. From memory, I can describe almost every inch of our home. I not only know how it looks on the outside; I’ve inched my way through the crawl space under the living room; I’ve seen the studs in the walls, helped pull wires, been into the attic. I dwell here. Sadly, I have to say that the secret place of the Most High is often secret from me. 

The rewards are worth it: deliverance, protection, fearlessness, health, victory over our enemies, answers to prayer, long life, and salvation. Who doesn’t desire such wonderful gifts? And yet, who among us is actually willing to dwell in that secret place, to settle in with God for the long haul? 

I am thankful tonight for this word which challenged me this morning. The old Gospel hymn says it well: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love.” Were it not for the Word of God doing its job of stabbing me in the heart till I bleed for Jesus, I would have fallen by the wayside years ago. Instead, here I am, listening to this word, learning again to lean in to the secret place.