The Best Place to Live

Every year, some magazines publish a list of cities that they say are the best places to live in regard to having less crime, or to raise a family, or for retirement. Well I want to recommend to you friends the best place to live, turn in your Bibles to Psalm 91. We will be in verse 1. Let me read this striking verse of scripture to us at this time.

Here now is the word of God, and may the Spirit of the Lord attend the reading of His holy word. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. It is here, friends, where you find the best place to live your life, as you dwell in an intimate love relationship with God and abide under the shadow of His care.

As we abide in God's care, we will experience God's goodness. It is in the secret place where we will dwell and know His power and presence through our lives. But we must ask ourselves, what is the pathway to the secret place of the Most High? I believe a reference to this can be found in Psalm 24, in verses 3 through 5. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully, he shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Clean hands speak of our relationship with our fellow man. It is a horizontal relationship, a pure heart, speaks of our walk with God, which is a vertical relationship. We can't have bitterness toward another or an unforgiving heart and still expect to have a pure heart toward God.

We must be properly aligned here, both to our dealings with men and our behavior towards God. I'll never forget the story, friends, told by Duncan Campbell, regarding the revival on the island of Lewes in Scotland. Prior to the revival, some men on the island had been gathering in a barn for prayer.

One night, as they waited upon God, a young deacon rose and read part of Psalm 24, or text today about clean hands and a pure heart. Turning to the others, he said, Brethren, it seems to me so much humbug to be waiting and praying as we are, if we ourselves are not rightly related to God. Then, lifting up his hands toward heaven, he cried, O God, are my hands clean? Is my heart pure? Suddenly, he was knocked prostrate on the ground as an awareness of God flooded that barn.

This was the beginning of the revival. Let me ask you, friend, can you be honest before God right now and say that you are rightly related to God, or you are in need of a personal revival? You cannot ascend into that hill of the Lord with dirty hands and an unclean heart. God says, return to me, and I will return unto you.

If you want God's presence and power in your life, you must repent and get right with him. But I can assure you, friend, that the best place to live is being camped out on that holy hill, in that holy place, that secret place of the Most High. There you will abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I don't know about you, friend, but I want to camp out here and live my life here in Psalm 90 and verse 1. Let us pray.