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Saturday 4 February 2012

The Secret of His Presence

Psalm 27:5
"For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock."

Ps 31:20
"You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence"
(NKJV)

I love to think that in the times of stress and heartache and sorrow that the Lord not only hides me in His tabernacle (hebrew סכה, suka; from which we get the Jewish feast of tabernacles or booths) but it is also a secret place and it is high up. It is a place that only He and I know. There I am safe and secure in His love. More than that while we are here on this earth, it is only a temporary abode, because we’re to remember we are here only as sojourners. We are just passing through.

This is a beautiful hymn by Ellen Lakshmi Goreh:

In the secret of His presence how my soul delights to hide!
Oh, how precious are the lessons which I learn at Jesus’ side!
Earthly cares can never vex me, neither trials lay me low;
For when Satan comes to tempt me, to the secret place I go,
To the secret place I go.

When my soul is faint and thirsty, ’neath the shadow of His wing
There is cool and pleasant shelter, and a fresh and crystal spring;
And my Savior rests beside me, as we hold communion sweet:
If I tried, I could not utter what He says when thus we meet,
What He says when thus we meet.

Only this I know: I tell Him all my doubts, my griefs and fears;
Oh, how patiently He listens! and my drooping soul He cheers:
Do you think He ne’er reproves me? What a false Friend He would be,
If He never, never told me of the sins which He must see,
Of the sins which He must see.

Would you like to know the sweetness of the secret of the Lord?
Go and hide beneath His shadow: this shall then be your reward;
And whene’er you leave the silence of that happy meeting place,
You must mind and bear the image of the Master in your face,
Of the Master in your face.

you can listen to the tune here


6 comments:

Simon said...

A really beautiful thought and the hymn in is a favourite. Love the flower in the cleft of the rock!

:-)

Glenys Poirot said...

Thank you Carolyn that was such a blessing to read.

CATachresis said...

Thanks Simon and Glenys :) There is so much more that could be said about the tabernacle as a type of Christ, but maybe another time!

animal lover, quilt lover said...

Beautiful Carolyn!!!

CATachresis said...

Thank you, Fern :)

animal lover, quilt lover said...

My Daughter-in law would love you Carolyn!!!! She lives in Jacksonville Fl.