It’s A Place of Intimacy
Last week…
“Solitude with God repairs the damage done by the fret and noise and clamor of the world.” – Oswald Chambers
Wow! To read this quote, you would think that Oswald Chambers is living in this present time, right in the middle of our current situation. A place where many are frightened, a place where many are walking in surround sound mode, and a place where many are in the midst of total chaos. Our nation’s frontline is fighting a viral pandemic while our country’s middle line is fighting a racial pandemic; nonetheless, no matter where you may find yourself, in the gamut of life, more than likely, you’re experiencing your own tailor-made wave of clamor. Some might say that it feels like a tsunami. That there has been an earthquake, an underlying force –– a disturbance that has taken place below the surface of life and is now causing this big wave of emotions.
Where is the peace that Paul so joyously speaks of in Philippians 4:7 when he says, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”? Like Job, some may be asking, “Where then is my hope?” (Job 17:15) I’m supposed to be able to comprehend the width, length, depth, and height of the love of Christ but right now all I can feel is the turbulence. Right now, all I can hear is the clamor and the noise and it’s coming to me by way of surround sound. It’s coming from my left and it’s coming from my right; it’s coming from the front and it’s coming from behind. Where is that still small voice that grants me permission to inhale and exhale? The voice that dries every one of my tears and the voice that calms every one of my fears, where is that voice?
I sit and I wait.
Oh, but listen. What do I hear? I hear the voice that I have long awaited for, calling unto me, as deep calls unto deep. Come unto me you who have labored and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Lounge here in the secret place and allow me to shelter you, from the element of the environment that surrounds you. Come unto me into this place.
This place is a place where few have ever really known; for in it are found the secrets of life and godliness. It is that secret place where only you and God can have a conversation and you don’t have to worry about interruptions or static in the midst of the “airwaves”. It’s a place where the noise of the world cannot penetrate – a space where only you and God abide. It’s a place where for just a moment you are dead to the issues of life and hid with Christ in God. Life is found in this place, not yours but His and you can have it more abundantly.
It’s a place where, in the hottest of days, you can sit with Him in the cool of the day. Charles Austin Miles described it and penned it this way,
I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known.
This is a special place that is here within reach. It’s a place of abiding, a place of dwelling, a place of union, and a place of worship. It’s a place where transition takes place the second you sit down –– a place where you transition into a communal space with Him. By now you may be saying, “I don’t feel any different.” But it’s not about how you feel; it’s about being and resting with a different “State of Mind”. It’s about you hearing His voice and He hearing yours. It’s about you seeing His face and Him seeing yours. It’s about Him in you and you in Him. It’s about intimacy, you and God.
Come as often as you need; for, whosoever will let him come. The only thing you will find in this place is the everlasting love of the Father.
“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the cliff,
let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.” Song of Solomon 2:14 – NKJV
Join me next week for Coffee on The Couch.