DAY 43
Abiding Is Greater Than Visiting
| READ Psalm 91:1 |
DEVOTIONAL
Making God's Presence Your Dwelling Place "Psalms 91:1 AMP He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand]." "Psalms 25:14 AMP The secret [of the wise counsel] of the Lord is for those who fear Him, And He will let them know His covenant and reveal to them [through His word] its [deep, inner] meaning. [John 7:17; 15:15]"
"Psalms 61:4 AMP Let me dwell in Your tent forever; Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings". Selah. "Psalms 27:4 AMP One thing I have asked of the Lord, and that I will seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, To gaze upon the beauty [the delightful loveliness and majestic grandeur] of the Lord And to meditate in His temple. [Ps 16:11; 18:6; 65:4; Luke 2:37]"
As we come to this point in our journey, one truth has become unmistakably clear: the secret place is not the destination of the Christian life-it is the place from which the Christian life is lived. Throughout this book, we have explored God's invitation to intimacy. We have climbed the mountain of prayer, discovered the hidden wisdom of God, learned the necessity of holiness, and seen how the Father prepares His people in secret before sending them into the world. Yet there remains one important lesson.
God never intended the secret place to be somewhere we occasionally visit. He intended it to become our dwelling place. Many believers faithfully set aside time each day to pray and read the Scriptures. This is both necessary and commendable. However, if our relationship with God begins and ends within those moments, we have only touched the threshold of what He desires for us. The Father is calling us into something much deeper. He desires continual fellowship.
He desires that every moment of our lives be lived with the conscious awareness of His presence. The secret place is not merely an appointment. It is a lifestyle. One of the greatest invitations Jesus ever gave His disciples was not simply to follow Him but to abide in Him. To abide is to remain. To dwell. To continue. To make one's home. This changes everything. Many Christians become discouraged because they continually feel as though they are trying to find God.
The wonderful truth of the New Covenant is that we are no longer searching for a God who is hiding. Through Jesus Christ, God has made His dwelling within us. The Holy Spirit has taken up residence in every believer. The Christian life, therefore, is not about occasionally entering God's presence. It is about learning to live consciously in the presence of the One who already dwells within us. The greatest transition in the believer's life comes when prayer ceases to be merely an activity and becomes continual communion.
There is a difference. An activity has a beginning and an end. Communion has neither. Communion becomes the atmosphere of life.
REFLECT
1. Where is the Holy Spirit inviting you to turn the secret place from a visit into a dwelling?
2. What is one response you can make today rather than postponing?
PRAY
Father, teach me to abide rather than merely visit Your presence. Let fellowship with You become the dwelling place of my heart throughout every hour, not an isolated moment in my day. Keep me consciously dependent on Christ, drawing life from Him continually, so that abiding produces lasting fruit in everything I do. In Jesus' name, Amen.
PRACTICE
Extend your quiet time today beyond your usual stopping point. Resist the urge to rush. Remain with God and ask Him to help you turn the secret place from a visit into a dwelling.
JOURNAL
What is God highlighting to me today?