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PraisePrayerWaiting

Psalm 91 – The Secret Place

By June 23, 2022No Comments

This Psalm must be one of the most famous for any Christian who has gone through trouble, for any soldier about to go into battle, and for any believer going through fearful times. Psalm 91 is one of those Psalms that presents to us a God who will protect, give provision, and give power to the believer who will trust in Him.

There is a clear cause and effect in Psalm 91. For the Spirit-filled Christian who will “dwell in the secret place of the Most High,” then he/she “will abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” We might say there is a reward for responsibility.

My thesis for Psalm 91 is “if you abide in God’s secret place, you will live under His protection, provision, and power.” It is abundantly clear in this Psalm just how protective God is over His children. He wants to protect and provide for His family.

The secret place is under the shadow of “the Almighty” Shaddai, one of three titles for God in this Psalm (the others being Elyon-Most High and Elohim-Sublime). Shaddai literally means “mighty, unconquerable, and all-mighty God.” Used 50 times in the Old Testament, it was the name used by the Patriarchs like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses.

To dwell in the secret place of God, is to abide in the “shadow” of Shaddai. To abide in something or someone’s shadow means you’re in close proximity. The shadow indicates the physical presence of something. Being in the presence, the shadow of Shaddai, is the place of protection, provision, and power!

Where is the Secret Place of God?

It might seem strange that God would have a secret place. After all, He’s God, and why would He need or want a secret place? It would seem that God’s secret place is not a location or place, but rather a relational connection of our heart toward God.

As I have studied Scripture, and as I have lived the Christian life as a leader and student of God’s ways, I see three distinct relational connection points that could be defined as “God’s secret place.”

Praise. God’s secret place is found in Psalm 22:3, “You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.” The presence of God’s Kingdom peace and power is directly related to the practice of God’s praise. The very word, “enthroned,” indicates that wherever God’s people exalt His name, He is ready to manifest His presence and, thus, His power.

Prayer. Another secret place of God is prayer. When we pray, we enter God’s secret place. Jesus said, “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:6)

Waiting. Another secret place of God is waiting on Him. Psalm 62 speaks of “waiting in silence for God…for God only.” When we cry out to God in prayer and wait on Him, even in silence, we enter another dimension of God’s presence. God comes to us when we have the patience to wait on Him.

In conclusion, may I restate my thesis for Psalm 91? “If you abide in God’s secret place, you will live under His protection, provision, and power.” Make it a practice in your life to daily praise the Lord, daily pray to God, and regularly wait on God for all your needs. If you do so, you will experience His protection, provision, and power over your life.

 

Abiding in the shadow of Shaddai,

Pastor Steve