The Secret Place
The Secret Place
One of my fondest memories of trips to Haiti has always been the devotional times in the morning. One song in particular has always meant a lot to me. “I Want to Know You”:
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In the secret, in the quiet place
In the stillness You are there
In the secret, in the quiet hour I wait only for You
‘Cause I want to know You more
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I’ve been reflecting on this song a lot in recent times. Early mornings in Haiti are a beautiful time, just as the sun is rising and the vendors on the streets are beginning to set up their goods. It was easy in those moments to breathe and focus on being with Him. And yet how does that play out in our everyday life? I think it is so easy for all of us to get caught up in the busyness of life- going to work, running a home, raising children, caring for parents…whatever our position may be in life. We live in a “microwave” generation- always wanting everything instantaneously and having a tendency to be impatient.
And yet throughout the Scriptures we read so many times of the need to rest. To have moments of quiet in the midst of the chaos. From the beginning when God rested on the seventh day after creating the world, to even our Lord when He walked the earth taking times apart to be alone with His Father, the pattern has been set. And if our Master Himself needed it…who are we to think we wouldn’t?
It often requires great discipline to get even fifteen minutes of time in the morning to be with our Father as there is a constant vying for our attention. Distractions abound, and it seems that at just those moments the children need something or we receive an urgent call from work. And yet if we are not intentional about that time with Him, we run into the day without taking the time to hear from Him. In His presence is the very peace and strength and joy we need to face whatever situation may arise in the day. He is there waiting for us.
I encourage you all to, as it states in Hebrews 4:11 “Labor to enter that rest.” Make the time to be with Him, to get to know Him more. The deadlines will still be there. The children will still need our attention. The lawn will still need to be mowed. And yet, as we learn to “dwell in the secret place” and take those moments to be with Him, we will find that we ourselves are in a different place facing the duties of life, and that we are not alone in doing so. He is the One Who “bears our burdens and carries us day by day.” (Psalm 68:19)
May the God of Peace be with you all.