After writing yesterday’s blog I realized that many times when we have been wrongly judged we create a “hiding place”. It becomes a place to go when we are feeling vulnerable and we don’t want others to see our insecurity and weakness.
Some retreat to a place emotionally and others find an actual physical place to hide.
About thirty-five years ago there was a song in Christian circles by the artist, Twilla Parris. It was entitled, “Secret Place”. The words of this song still minister to me today. It asks, if we will let the Lord into your secret place? It’s that place we don’t think anyone knows about. The place where we can hide bitterness, the sting of rejection, fear of unworthiness and secret sins. These are things that we keep secluded and we don’t even want the Lord to know about. (But He does.) When we think about these things now they hurt as much as the day they occurred. Our secret place might seem safe but in reality it keeps us locked in or imprisoned to those circumstances.
MY HEART IS LIKE A HOUSE, ONE DAY I LET THE SAVIOR IN
THERE ARE MANY ROOMS WHERE WE WOULD VISIT NOW AND THEN.
BUT THEN ONE DAY HE SAW THAT DOOR I KNEW THE DAY HAD COME TOO SOON
I SAID JESUS I’M NOT READY FOR US TO VISIT IN THAT ROOM
THERE’S A PLACE IN MY HEART WHERE EVEN I WOULDN’T GO
I HAVE SOME THINGS HIDDEN THERE I DON’T WANT NO ONE TO KNOW
BUT HE HANDED ME THE KEY WITH TEARS OF LOVE ON HIS FACE
HE SAID I WANT TO MAKE YOU FREE LET ME GO IN YOUR SECRET PLACE.
SO I OPENED UP THE DOOR AND THE TWO OF US WALKED IN
I WAS SO ASHAMED I’D REVEALED MY HIDDEN SIN.
BUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT THAT ROOM NOW I’M NOT AFRAID ANYMORE
FOR I KNOW MY HIDDEN SIN NO LONGER HIDES BEHIND THAT DOOR.
THERE WAS A PLACE IN MY HEART WHERE EVEN I WOULDN’T GO
I HAD SOME THINGS HIDDEN THERE I DIDN’T WANT NO ONE TO KNOW
BUT HE HANDED ME THE KEY WITH TEARS OF LOVE ON HIS FACE
HE MADE ME FREE I LET HIM IN MY SECRET PLACE.
I had a room in my heart like that. It was filled with bitterness and anger. Every time I thought of a certain situation and the person who controlled it I would flare up again. It was so hurtful. So yes, I kept it locked away and didn’t deal with it.
One day as I was praying about something completely different those memories came flooding in. I remember saying “Lord, that’s not what I’m praying about.” and I felt the Lord say to me “But this is what we need to deal with”. I began to weep, I confessed my bitterness and felt Him heal my heart. I was free!
Then the Lord showed me that He has a secret place for me to come to when I’m frightened or insecure, when I’ve been hurt. There’s no lock on the door. His secret place is for my safety and protection.
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Psalm 91:1-2 NKJV
“37 However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.” John 6:37 NLT
Following the Lord doesn’t mean that we won’t face obstacles, battles or persecution but it does mean that the Lord will walk with us through the storms, give us strength and peace and bring us out to a place of victory.
“Lord, Reveal to me any “secret” places that I have kept back from You and give me the courage to let You shine the light of Your love into that darkness and bring me out into the warmth of your protection and healing. You are my God and I place my trust in You!”