He that dwelleth 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 91:1-2KJV).
Imagine that once we run under a shelter, we save ourselves from being wet by rainwater. Holding an umbrella further prevents rainwater from wetting our bodies. In the same way, staying in an air condition cools us from hot sunshine. Once we stay under such preventable conditions, we remain safe. Disobedience to these safety mediums, brings hardship under such bizarre conditions.
In the same way, remaining in the presence of God, keeps us from trouble whereas staying away from His presence can create problems for us. The ‘secret place’ is where we meet God. It is a place that has constantly generated the presence of the Spirit of God and has left a certain aura for our safety and deliverance.
Why do you think people who have ‘slept in the same bed’ with the devil at the eleventh hour, run to the house of God? You can talk of persons who have sold their souls to the devil through blood money, sacrifice and committed service to deities, traditional believers and so on. They come to the point of sacrificing their lives. Parts of their bodies sometimes wastes away through strange illnesses and once it gets to that critical stage, some find their way to the church. The church becomes their secret place. If they genuinely repent and with God’s mercy, they are healed and transformed. They experience the reality of the secret place.
Whiles we are busily grounding our feet in the things of God, the enemy’s aim is to pull us out of the presence of God. So some Christians allow circumstances to keep them away from church for a long time. Sometimes if they are not fortunate, you hear their untimely death or life becomes so tough and difficult to bear. Why haven’t we seen you in church for a while? Oh because of this and that. They give you excuses.
When they get to a hopeless state, some remember the fellowship of the brethren and they run back to Church. That is the wisest thing to do. The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.(Proverbs 18:10 KJV). Even when a believer is being pursued physically, running into a church house can save him because of the perception when church is mentioned.
There is something that causes the pursuer to lay down his weapons when the believer runs to the house of God. “… ‘My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—from violent people you save me. 2 Samuel 22:3 (NIV). “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NIV)
The secret place of the most high is a spiritual cover that keeps the hedge over the believer’s life. Dwelling always under the shelter continually keeps the hedge over the believer. Quitting is capable of tainting once stance with the Almighty if the believer gets himself involved in things that undermines his Christianity. Running back, the believer receives instant cover but the cover is completely preserved once the believer abides in God’s presence. For the unbeliever, he has to give himself to Christ and make a life-time decision of abiding in God’s presence.
