The Secret Place

Psalm 91 was a special favorite to D.O. Moody. His Bible was marked all up and down throughout Psalm 91, and it's a special favorite to me as well, friends, for my Bible is marked up and down as well as God has spoken to me in it through the years in its rich truths and treasures. And in verse 1, we find that it's loaded with the majesty of God and promised immortal man he that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Notice the names of God here, Most High, Almighty. He is a God, high and lifted up. He is Almighty God, all-powerful, for his hand is not too short to save.

And notice, friends, the interaction of the two words dwell and abide and how they are wrapped up in the promises of God that those who dwell in the secret place shall abide under a shadow. They both have the same meaning, but it's interesting how they're used here in our text, how they lay juxtaposed there in that opening verse, which sets the stage for what is to come in the rest of the psalm. I believe I could preach out Psalm 91 like Morton Lloyd-Jones used to spend months on end from a chapter from Romans, for there's so much richness here for exposition and a practical application to our hearts and lives.

Those two words dwell and abide. I recall a story that Charles Spurgeon related about his personal experience with Psalm 91. There was a terrible pestilence that had hit London, and people were dying by the hundreds as this disease spread from house to house.

Spurgeon was a young pastor, and he was hesitant to go out among his parishioners and visit them in their time of grief and sickness, and his hesitation rose higher and higher as the devil tempted him with threats to his physical safety if he ventured out. He was reading his Bible in Psalm 91, and he came across verses 5 and 6. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flyeth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness. And when Spurgeon read that it was as if all of his fears dropped away like a spider's web in the wind, and he rose from his chair and went out courageously to visit his people from house to house, and he was kept safe all the while.

Now, I don't believe that a verse of Scripture is a cure-all to end-all, as many in world wars hung on to the promises of protection and still became casualties of war. But I believe, friends, as things are under the providence of God, he can take a verse of his word and make it a reality in all life if he so desires, and if we so believe. Psalm 91 is a rich psalm with the promises of God to those weary believers who are seeking rest and refuge in a God bigger than they, and who desire to dwell in that secret place with him, beneath the shadow of his wings of care.

Let us spend time here, in God's word, as we draw closer to him in prayer. Let us enter that secret place that exists to all comers who are washed in the blood of his dear son Jesus, who is our forerunner to the Father, like a ship that goes before the other to bring us safely to shore. I remember a story that an evangelist told who was friends with Leonard Ravenhill when Ravenhill was an old man.

He went to visit Ravenhill's Texas home, and they were sitting in the study talking. Well, at least the visiting evangelist was doing all the talking as Leonard Ravenhill sat silent in his chair. Finally, this evangelist noticed that the older man was moving his lips like he was mumbling, but no sound was coming out.

He thought it was due to his old age, but he paid closer attention, and he realized he was saying something in a whisper that he could not hear. Finally, straining his ears, he could hear Ravenhill whisper two words, draw closer. The man pulled his chair closer to Ravenhill, who then whispered again, draw closer.

The evangelist drew his chair as close as he could to him, only to hear once more the faint whisper, draw closer. This evangelist leaned forward in his chair, placing his face so close to Ravenhill's that his ear touched the older man's chin, who whispered again, draw closer. Then he spoke in an audible voice of authority by remarking, God doesn't reveal his secrets but to those who draw closer to him.

To dwell in the secret place with the most high friends, we must abide there with him, in a close intimate walk with him, to experience that shadow, that long shadow of the presence of the Almighty. Let us seek him as we have never done before, in earnest supplication. Let us draw nearer to him, more nearer than ever before, in close intimacy with him.

The key is found in the juxtaposition of those delightful words, dwell and abide. Jesus said, abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine. No more can ye abide, except ye abide in me.

I believe, friends, that God wants to speak to us today, that he is a word straight for our hearts, that he is looking for the ones who are willing to take the time and make the sacrifice, to spend time with him in prayer and his word. He is saying to each of us in a slight whisper, draw closer, draw closer, draw closer. Let us pray.