The Secret Place!

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." (Psalm 91:1-2). These verses speak of The Temple of the Lord where the godly would find safety under the protective wings of the Lord. For us today, this "secret Place" means to lean, rely on, and to confidently put our trust in the Mighty Hand's of God. The secret place is the presence of the Lord. When we are in that secret place, we don't have to worry or fret or have any anxiety. We don't have to figure out everything. Our flesh may be screaming at us to "do something", but we can remain calm, cool, and at peace. We don't have to go emotionally "crazy". We can relax and be secure in knowing that in the presents of the Lord there is joy, peace, and rest in the Holy Spirit. Look at Moses for example. He had a very large task ahead of him in confronting the Pharaoh of Egypt on God's behalf to let the children of Israel go. Then as the Lord delivered them out of Egypt, Moses would have to lead them! Naturally, Moses was very concerned about it, just as we are concerned about what God has called us to do in our lives. But all Moses really needed was the knowledge and the assurance that God would go with him and help him. That is all we need to know too. Read and pray through Psalm 91 and Psalm 34. God promises to deliver us from all our fears! FEAR IMPRISONS, FAITH LIBERATES; FEAR PARALYZES, FAITH ENCOURAGES; FEAR SICKENS, FAITH HEALS; FEAR MAKES USELESS, FAITH MAKES SERVICEABLE-AND, MOST OF ALL, FEAR PUTS HOPELESSNESS AT THE HEART OF LIFE, WHILE FAITH REJOICES IN ITS GOD. Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969)

From Far, To Near

Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem to do even more evil than the pagan nations whom the Lord had destroyed when the Israelites  entered the land…So the Lord sent the Assyrian armies, and they took Manasseh prisoner. They put a ring through his nose, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon. But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the Lord his God and cried out humbly to the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed, the Lord listened to him and was moved by his request for help. (2 Chronicles 33:9-14. Manasseh not only practiced evil himself; he led the nation of Judah and the people of Jerusalem to do even more evil than the pagan nations had thought of. He practiced the worship of idols, witchcraft, and sorcery, burned his own sons at a pagan alter, and if that weren’t enough, he even defiled the temple of God by placing an idol of the sex goddess Asherah there. God had had enough of Manasseh’s rebellion. So He sent many warnings to Manasseh for him to change. He would not listen, and God brought the Assyrian army to capture him and lead him away like an animal. Manasseh surely did not deserve God’s mercy. But in his captivity he cried out to God in humility and repentance, the Lord not only heard his cry for help, but also let Manasseh go back to Jerusalem and restored his kingdom. After what had happened to him, Manasseh would always know that the Lord alone is God. Many of us fall away from God from time to time either in open rebellion or in taking small steps off His path. But be encouraged, this passage tells us of God’s loving grace and His desire to forgive us and to restore us. He wants us to come to Him humbly so He can heal us and redeem our lives from whatever “pit’ we may be in. Please read and “pray” through Psalm 103. God Bless You!

THE MOST MARVELOUS INGREDIENT IN THE FORGIVENESS OF GOD IS THAT HE ALSO FORGETS, THE ONE THING A HUMAN BEING CAN NEVER DO. Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)