The Secret Kisses
God delights to speak to His people in secret, imparting comfort, cheer, and communion in times of solitude.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes that in times of solitude and wilderness, God intimately communicates with His people, offering comfort and joy directly to their hearts. He illustrates this divine interaction as akin to a husband sharing his thoughts with his wife in private, highlighting the profound communion that occurs during secret prayer. Brooks encourages believers to seek these 'secret kisses' from God, which represent the deep, personal encounters and revelations that strengthen their faith.
Text
When a Christian is in a wilderness, which is a very
solitary place, then God delights to speak friendly
and comfortably to him: Hosea 2:14, "Behold, I will
allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and
speak friendly or comfortably to her," or as the
Hebrew has it, "I will speak to her heart."
"When I have her alone," says God, "in a solitary
wilderness, I will speak such things to her heart,
as shall exceedingly cheer her, and comfort her,
and even make her heart leap and dance within
her." Certainly the soul usually enjoys most
communion with God in secret.
A husband imparts his mind most freely and fully
to his wife when she is alone; and so does Christ
to the believing soul. Oh . . .
the secret kisses,
the secret embraces,
the secret visits,
the secret whispers,
the secret cheerings,
the secret sealings,
the secret discoveries,
which God gives to His people when in secret prayer.
Sermon Outline
- God's Secret Communication
- The Nature of God's Secret Communication
- The Benefits of Secret Prayer
- The soul enjoys most communion with God
- Christ imparts His mind to the believing soul
Key Quotes
“When I have her alone, in a solitary wilderness, I will speak such things to her heart, as shall exceedingly cheer her, and comfort her, and even make her heart leap and dance within her.” — Thomas Brooks
“Oh . . . the secret kisses, the secret embraces, the secret visits, the secret whispers, the secret cheerings, the secret sealings, the secret discoveries, which God gives to His people when in secret prayer.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- Make time for secret prayer to enjoy deeper communion with God.
- Recognize that Christ imparts His mind to the believing soul in secret, and seek to hear His voice.
- Solitude can be a place of great blessing, where God speaks to the heart and brings comfort and cheer.