“Treasures from the Secret Place”

Chapter 2

He who dwells in the Secret Place…Psalm 91:1a

A Secret place…hidden, concealed, private, safe. These words come to mind when I consider a Secret Place. As I pointed out in the introduction, the old walnut tree on the corner of our block was one of my favorite secret places growing up. It served me well. One day the neighborhood bully grabbed my little sister and brother and locked them in the chicken coop and then shot out of the area, leaving them in tears. The coop was almost under my tree…I saw the whole thing.

Dropping my book, I scrambled down thick branches and leapt to the ground. Quickly I unlatched the chicken shed and pulled open the creaking door. Four little arms nearly squeezed the life out of me as I comforted them, wiping dust and tears from their faces. I sent them home and stomped to the bully’s home to report his mischief. There were no further chicken coop incidents.

When David penned this memorable psalm, he wasn’t referring to a walnut tree. What did he mean by “the Secret Place?”

Let’s search this out:

Looking up SECRET PLACE in Strong’s:

5643
• a cover
• hiding place
• protection

<5641> primitive root
• to hide (by covering)
• keep close
• conceal
• to guard

There is nothing unusual about these definitions. They mirror what I said earlier, but now let’s dig deeper into the Hebrew. There is treasure to uncover.  Okay are you ready?… Here it is in Hebrew:

    
Resh, Tav, Samech — Remember, read from right to left. It’s easier to read it when we can see the letters. So, Samech, Tav, Resh are the letters that spell SECRET PLACE.

= Samech 60 = Pride, Conceit, Earthly. Means: To Lean Upon, a Prop or Aid, Hold, Assist or Support – the heart of God
= Tav 400 = The outcome of Trial and Testing. Means: a rough Cross, Covenant, Seal, Mark, A Sign, Ownership, Finished or Complete
= Resh 200 = Insufficiency, Poverty. Means: Head, Chief, Beginning, Highest, Most Important, a Person, Human Reasoning vs. Obedience

There is something about that first letter, Samech.

The Sages see the circular form of the samech as the heart of God, which upholds and supports us. Just as a circle has no beginning or end, neither does God. His love is from everlasting to everlasting. We can lean on His faithful love and support. As we do, we will be surrounded, supported, and kept in perfect peace in the heart of God.

Isaiah 26:3 says,
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

When you put this understanding together with the other letters here is the meaning of this word through Hebrew eyes:

The Secret Place is living in the midst of God’s heart, trusting fully in His Word that covers you with His covenant promises of protection, because He loves us and He is head over all.

David wrote in Psalm 32:7:
You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah

And Psalm 31:19-20
Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!
20 You shall hide them in the Secret Place of Your presence
From the plots of man;
You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion
From the strife of tongues.
The words hiding place and the Secret Place come from the same root word.

There were several times when the Lord shared His heart with me regarding the secret place. Here is one: Listen and hear. How is He speaking to you?

~ Journal Notes ~

“The Secret place is a place of quiet, inside your soul, a place to rest in Me completely. It is under-water freedom from the weight of life. Buoyed in My hands carried in Me. There’s a habitation for you, one that I’ve held in reserve, waiting for you to come. How I long to sit with you there and share My heart and My secrets. Truly sin cannot possess there. The enemy cannot enter in.

“Dwells is not a stopping place or a place to run to in times of danger, but a place to live.

“The dwelling place is IN ME. In Me you live and move and have your being.(Acts 17:28) Outside of this place is chaos, confusion, fear and dread.

“You can live here all of the time. You never have to leave. It’s a choice to remain in Me. There will be times when the circumstances of life will pull you aside from abiding here, but I will teach you the pathway of return. I will show you the way home to this place of quiet rest of soul.

“Your spirit never leaves this place and is constantly reminding you of your need to return. Over time you will respond more quickly to His call. Come away My beloved. Come away.”

~~~
Psalm 27:5-6
For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

The Secret Place is a wonderful place to be whether you are running from the enemy or not.

So let’s put the two phrases together and see what we’ve got so far.

He who dwells: He who moves in permanently – trusting in God and obeying Him, will experience the activation of His hand of power, His Holy Spirit, consuming with His fire all that destroys, tries to invade, or keep us from His house.

The Secret Place is living in the midst of God’s heart, trusting fully in His Word that covers us with His covenant promises of protection, because He loves us and is head over all.

If you haven’t found the Secret Place yet, spend time asking the Holy Spirit to help you. Read this psalm over and other psalms and feast on the attributes of God. The more you know Him, the more you will Dwell in the Secret Place. It’s just takes a glance in His direction.

(Follow the link at the bottom of the page for the next installment.)