August 28: “IN THE SECRET PLACE II”

In this Psalm, the writer uses the word “Pavilion” as a place God hides him from trouble. It is a covered place, a booth, a tent, in which a person may be kept from being seen or a secret hideout. The Psalmist used the term “Pavilion” with reference to God (2 Sam 22:12; Psalm 18:11). It is also used to refer to a secret place where kings drink in private (I Kings 20:12, 16). In our text, the Psalmist holds that both light and salvation are in God and so when darkness comes, he runs to God and enjoys light such that the terror that comes with the darkness cannot reach him since darkness is not able to withstand light. When faced with some physical aggression, the Psalmist takes refuge in God who saves and thus has become his salvation.

The import of this is that God Himself is adequate to hide his faithful people from whatever challenges they face. His person has become that secret place that the devil and his agents cannot get to. Paul says, “for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God”, Colossians 3:3. This is a good description of how secure we are in God – that our very lives are in God, well protected. It is heart-warming to be re-assured of your security in God who has become your Pavilion, a hiding place, so secure that you do not need to worry about since it is incorruptible and eternal. This is one of those benefits you have come into through your redemption, so make the most of it. Stay hidden in God and enjoy your peace.

Prayer: Confess your confidence in God as your most secure hiding place, and rebuke every fear you have hitherto entertained.