Psalms 91:1 reads “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the almighty”. Verse 2: “I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress. My God, in Him I will trust”. NKJV

The key words I want to look at is the word in. When the bible talks about the secret place, people may have different views on actually using the secret place, however I believe it’s dwelling in the presence of God, taking from the heading/ title of the psalm “Safety of abiding in the presence of God.

I want to do a full devotion soon on Psalms 91, but today I am just looking at the first two verses. When we are in times of trouble we all tend to have our escape. Whether it’s a healthy one or unhealthy, we all have somewhere or something we run to. It may be you hide in food, you hide in self pity, you hide in avoidance, you hide in drugs alcohol or addiction. We all have our hiding places.

However , this psalm is reminding us of the fact that there is safety within Gods presence. We can try to find something to fill the void, however, God is constantly calling us to him.

Matthew 11:28 – Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
‭‭‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” NKJV‬‬

God wants to be our first call not our last resort. He wants to be a priority not an option. Children, when you observe them if they’ve been hurt or have fallen over and seeking comfort or just not sure how to react (in psychology we call this social referencing), they first look to their parents to help them make a decision. When hurt, they run to their mother and father. Though it won’t always take away the immediate pain or the frightening scenario, they know there is a comfort and a safety.

It’s the same with what God wants us to do. He wants us to seek Him in all times. Good and bad. To spend time with Him. And when things have gone upside down, just like after a long day you’re ready to go home, He wants to be your dwelling place, where you reside and find peace.

I was researching what a fortress, it’s basically a big building where militaries could find extreme security and safety. Or it’s used to describe a stronghold, or a person not susceptible to outside influences. It’s a place which you can stay safe during attack.

God being the unchanging, fortress run to him and seek Him in all things. Make His presence where you reside. And find rest in Him!

Practical tip: when a situation arises, let’s say you’ve got a disappointing email or just something has just happened to cause you to stress. Take five seconds to breathe, and just say a prayer “God, please help me.” It doesn’t need to be complicated, but allowing that to be your first thing rather than be your last resort when you’ve exhausted all other methods. Like a child runs to their parent, run to your heavenly one. Just tell Him what’s going on. He cares for you. And He loves you!

I hope you have had a wonderful week, God bless you ♥️.

~ peace , joy & love x

TK