God is so faithful and persistent. I rarely write on the same thing two days in a row but once again God has revealed Himself in spite of me. What is really weird is that before my long absence I had been working through the Celebrate Recovery Step books as a starting point to seek affirmations from God. Yesterday morning Celebrate Recovery took me to Matthew 6. I DID NOT GO.
I looked at my list of affirmations I had previously captured and written on and saw that I had written a couple of times from Matthew 6 and had quite a few affirmations from that location so I didn’t even open up the bible to Matthew 6. I know I wanted to write about the AMAZING comfort I had experienced in my prayer closet in my “secret place”. I chose to look elsewhere and I found that comfort in Psalm 23.
So here I am today back at Matthew 6 and decide to read through it to see what new God would reveal today. I have to admit that my memory scares me at times as to how I totally don’t remember things and locations in scripture are some. Although I saw Matthew 6 I had no clue what I would find there.
I had to laugh as I read Matthew 6:6“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
I refused to go to this passage yesterday and went looking for a scripture on comfort because that is what I felt when I went to my secret place. God showed me today that I felt that comfort because He is there. It’s not about me, my experiences, my rugs, or even my secret place but a comfort only my Father in Heaven can give. And He showed me He would get me to this point one way or the other. In Matthew, Psalms or any other of His books He will provide the message we need.
This morning as I was in my secret place following through the model prayer Jesus gave us to pray (which is given to us in Matthew 6) and God once again gave me my daily bread. As I prayed I was oh so aware of how I am nothing without Him. How can I be so wretched and evil at times and yet have these times of comfort and holiness? Just last night I revealed my evil nature to my wife, how can I be so mean? Forgive me for my trespasses. He does and He is in those places too. Thanks for meeting me here this morning Father.
I am nothing without Him, as I cried out to give him ALL of me I now see, He is there. He is in my secret place and in your secret place. Rest assured “your Father who is in the secret place;” He IS in your secret place. He truly does reward us with so many blessings and in so many ways.
Jesus went to His secret places to be alone with His Father. The same Father that was with Jesus is with us in our secret places. In Matthew 6 Jesus makes it clear that God already knows what we need. We just need to realize we need Him.
Father I need you. I am amazed by You and Your ways. Thanks for being there and thanks for reaching us even though we choose different paths. Thanks for Your faithfulness and the power in Your word. There is such power and peace in knowing that You are in our secret places.
Have you ever had God show you clearly that He will get His message across in spite of you and will reveal His word in unexpected ways to you?
Tom Raines
Christian Affirmations 4 Life
Tom!
Welcome back! (at least for now…you might need to take off again)
You asked:
“Have you ever had God show you clearly that He will get His message across in spite of you and will reveal His word in unexpected ways to you?”
Oh, man, you bet! I am thankful He does what needs to be done according to HIS will despite what a bonehead, jerk, idiot, moron, and petulant child I can be! (Can I get an ‘Amen’, anyone?) 🙂
I mention all this in regard to how He uses me in the public forum.
Now, as to how He deals with me in my private life, in my secret places…wow. Completely different story here. He brings me to my knees, but not as some angry God of wrath, but as King, Master, Lord, and Father. At His feet is never a bad place to be. Our Father is loving and compassionate, but He is also Holy, Sovereign, and Omnipotent. I fear Him in His righteousness, but I love Him in His grace.
Tom, so good to see you again. You have been missed, but it is understandable why you have been absent. Thanks for speaking as you do, listening to The Spirit and using words that can lift up and tear-down as needed. Good stuff.
Donald in Bethel, CT
Thanks Donald, that is perfectly stated as I can relate to all aspects of your statement. My experience at the feet of God is exactly as you have shared. What a wonderful place to be…just as David, this is all I seek, to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life and to gaze upon His beauty and to seek Him! Thanks my brother for traveling this road with me so we may spur each other on to all kinds of good works. May God place us where we will do most good for Him. Merry Christmas as we celebrate God with us.