Meet Him in the Secret Place
ICS Daily Devotions
Matthew 10:27 (NKJV) Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.
This ear mentioned in this verse does not refer to the physical ear, which is used to hear natural sounds, people’s voices, and noises. Instead, Jesus is referring to the spiritual ear, which will hear from the Holy Spirit, instructing us on what to speak. Yes, we do have an ear in the spirit.
In the story of the rich man and Lazarus recorded in Luke chapter 16, they were able to hear and speak, even though they were departed spirits held in Hades and Abraham’s bosom. Abraham could hear what the rich man was saying to him, despite being in different compartments for departed spirits. From this passage, we can conclude that the spirit man has ears to hear—spiritual ears, designed to hear the voice of God while we are alive on earth. Once Christians are united with the Holy Spirit, their spirits can communicate with Him. We must listen to the leading and impressions that come from the Holy Spirit through the spirit man. With this understanding, we should always be conscious of the Holy Spirit residing within us.
God is light. There is no darkness in God; we will never find anything evil about Him. Therefore, the word ‘dark’ mentioned in this context refers to secrecy. What God revealed to them and us will be done in secrecy.
Matthew 6:6 (NKJV) But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
God desires that we spend time with Him alone. It is a godly spiritual habit that all Christians need to cultivate, so we can come into His presence and cast our cares upon Him. After we have cast all our cares and concerns to Him, we will also be able to hear from the Holy Spirit. God is aware of all our thoughts, sighs, and grief, and He desires to impart His wisdom and grace to us, especially when we are in His presence in the secret place.
We need to schedule a time to be in God’s presence. This has to be intentional, given our busy schedules. It would be ideal to identify a place where you will meet God daily in the morning, without any distractions. This will help us gain wisdom to face the day. When we set up our secret place to be with the Lord, we are telling ourselves that it is a time to be in the presence of God. We are preparing ourselves spiritually, and our minds and emotions are trained to get used to the routine. A simple decoration, such as a cross, would help us to concentrate on the Lord because our minds stray easily.
Being in His presence in the secret place is a spiritual discipline that all Christians need to develop. It is a place where we are nourished, renewed, and refreshed, just like a battery being recharged.
Sermon Series：The Norm in the New Era
