FAY ROWE

Psalm 91 is one of my favorite psalms. True, this could be said of almost any of them, but I really do love this one. It talks about the secret place of safety provided for us “under the shadow of the Almighty.”

I have heard several sermons based on this scripture, and have been frustrated by the fact that the actual coordinates of the secret place seemed to be illusive. One pastor or teacher would say it was a place of constant prayer; another would say it was a place of unwavering obedience. Somehow, whenever it was presented, I felt like that secret place was hard to find or, if I could manage to get there, it was a difficult position to maintain.

I would always take comfort, however, from verse two, which indicated something that I felt I could do, since it seemed to be more about the Lord than about me and my ability to do good stuff. I could “say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him will I trust.'” 

I knew I could say that, because I knew him to be trustworthy.

But then, wouldn’t a place of trust become a place of prayer and obedience? Instead of being a means to enter into the secret place, prayer and obedience would spring from that place of safety and confidence close to our Father. Somehow, that just makes more sense to me.

Today, let’s just trust God.

“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! 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” (Psalm 31:19,20).