A Secret Place In The Day Of Trouble

Today's Word of Encouragement from Wayne:

"For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock"

Psalm 27:5

David had personally learned, and here confessed, that ministering to the Lord provided strength and protection for him "in the day of trouble." This is exactly what he meant when he wrote, "to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me." Amen. As children of God we are blessed to minister to our Lord and to learn the beauty of His presence that keeps drawing us back for more. But there is also a special strength, protection, and even deliverance, which David often wrote of, that God gives us as we minister to Him. God’s presence is certainly the place to be in worship, and actually at all times.

I minister to the Lord primarily because, as a born again, New Covenant blood redeemed beloved child of God, Jesus Christ has made me, and all of His redeemed ones, "to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father" (Revelation 1:6). Which is a long winded way of saying I minister to the Lord because Jesus Christ created me to be a minister to the Lord. I minister to the Lord because He is so worthy, all the time, to be praised. Yes, You are worthy Lord and I praise Your holy name. And yet, I am so blessed. Ministering to the Lord has enriched my life in Christ immeasurably for over 40 years.

In ministering before God’s presence, I find a multitude of blessings: bread of life, living water, divine fellowship, grace, the beauty of the Lord, scriptural clarity and, like David, protection, strength, wisdom, direction - all being manifested through drawing near and ministering to the Lord as a priest in His presence. David saw God as concealing him, "in the secret place of His tent." The secret place in a tent was the hidden place, the safest place, the place where no one else could find you if you did not want to be found.

This is the level of loving care and protection God has for us as we minister as priests in His presence. And when David wrote, "He will lift me up on a rock," I think we all know Who that Rock is that God has lifted us up on. The simple thought confessed by David is that he saw God’s presence as the place to be, of intimate protection and ultimate victory, over all the trials of life. And this is true right now for us too, all because of Jesus Christ. Let God hide you in His presence today. Hallelujah!