Longing for the Secret Place
-
Greg Waybright
- Psalm 91
- Modern Longings – Ancient Words: The Psalms and Our Deepest Desires
- 43 mins 20 secs
- Views: 1087
Questions for Reflection
Psalm 91
- The author of Psalm 91 speaks as someone who is very familiar with living through tough times. When was the last time you longed to get away from a tough situation in your life?
- Read verse 1 again. What do you think it means to dwell in the shelter or secret place of the Most High? How do you imagine it would feel to rest in the shadow of the Almighty?
- Verse 2 may provide the key to the dwelling and resting of verse 1. Put the Psalmist’s confession in your own words.
- What sort of language is used to describe the Lord in verses 1 through 4? What stands out to you the most?
- In Psalm 91 the Lord promises he will rescue the psalmist. How do we make sense of the times when people are in great troubles and this does not happen?
- What sort of rescue for yourself or someone else do you need to ask for this week? How can you “acknowledge” the Lord’s name in your words and deeds?
Study Notes
Modern Longings; Ancient Words Longing for the Secret Place
Psalm 91
When our children, Heather and Brandon, were small (Heather was 6 and Brandon 2), we moved to a small home in Arlington Heights, IL and lived there for 8 years.When I became a university president, we were able to move to a newer and bigger home. But, I think our kids always liked our smaller home at 1127 Derbyshire Dr. more. One of the main reasons for that was that, when we would go down the stairs and turn right, there was a secret playroom. It looked a little bit like this picture:
But, I know they would say without hesitation that their secret playroom was much, much better – more hidden, more mysterious, more fun. They would go there to read, to create magnificent edifices with Legos, and – at times – to get away from the hecticness of school and of life in general. It was their secret place that could not be destroyed by a bad grade on a test, a family dispute, or a neighborhood bully.
I remembered that secret place when I began preparing today’s sermon from Ps 91. As I’ve been telling you, in my final sermon series as your Sr. Pastor, I’ve turned to the passages from the Psalms that have been the most life-directing and life-transforming in my walk with God. Last week, I took you to Ps 40 and spoke of what to do when you’re in a slimy pit, i.e., in a situation in which you just don’t know where to go or how to get out of a mess. Do you remember the formula I gave you last week about what to do when you are in a slimy pit? Slow Down – Remember [what God has done in the past and meditate on it] – Ask [give the situation to God in prayer] – (Wait, Wait) [often the hardest part] – Act [seek to take one God-honoring step as you wait].
Many of you have told me you agree with me; i.e., that one of the hardest parts of dealing with those slimy pits is the “wait, wait” part. The problems that led to those slimy pit situations don’t always go away as you wait and sometimes they feel like they will destroy you. It’s because that is so often true that I want to speak to you of why Ps 91 is so significant in my walk with the Lord.
Ps 91 is a Psalm about God’s protection as we wait. The key to experiencing the protection and peace God’s Word promises is a right understanding of its first verse, i.e., Ps 91:1. I think I can give you help to remember where that verse is: Those three numbers, 911, are the numbers you call when you need protection. Right? 
When you read Ps 91, you will see the Psalmist speaks of all kinds of emergencies that happen in our lives and rob us of our peace. Ps 91 tells us that in the Psalmist’s world and in ours too, the God who is our Father is with us and is greater than any crisis that might hit us.
So, look carefully at how the Psalmist begins this “911-Psalm” about God’s protection : Whoever dwells in the shelter (or, the secret place) of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Today, in Ps 91, I want you to notice 1) the place, 2) the plot, 3) the promise and 4) the path.
- The Place: What Is the Secret Place of the Most High?
The term “secret place” comes from the Hebrew word besether, which means “to hide” or “to be concealed”. Most of our newer English versions translate the word as “shelter” because of the promise that whoever lives in that place will find rest as we are sheltered in the shade of the Almighty. Israel, where the Psalmist lived, is located in a hot, desert-like area so that people frequently sought protection from the damage of the hot sun. So, shelter from sun was something that people could understand. Shade is what keeps you from getting burnt!
However, the word besether was used to refer to more than just shelter from sun or shelter from a storm. A “besether” was a place to find protection from any person or thing in this world that might harm you. In fact, in Exo 33:20, when Moses wanted to have a personal encounter with God, God explained that no sinful human being can see the holy God and live. In other words, what Moses asked for wasn’t safe for him. So God allowed Moses to see His glory -- but only from a “secret place”, a hidden place.
That’s what made me remember the secret place at our home that my kids loved when they were little. Or, as another illustration, think about the National Safe Place (NSP) movement in our own country. 
It’s a prevention program for children and young people under the age of 18 who are in need of immediate help and safety – from storms, fires, gangs, bullies, etc. etc. When protection is needed, kids can look for the NSP sign to go and find protection from harm.
When I read Ps 91, it becomes clear to me that God knows what has happened to this once perfect world ever since sin entered into it in Gen 3. We live in a world filled with slimy pit situations and with people who mean to do us hard. But, Ps 91:1 declares that God makes a secret place available so that no lasting harm can come to those who run to him. It is a secret place – not so much because the place is unknown as because it is inaccessible to whatever or whoever might do harm to the one in it. The secret place that Ps 91 describes, however, is not a physical location. It is the presence of the Most High God himself. “The one who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will find rest in the shade of the Almighty.” God’s presence is the secret place.
- The Plot: How Might Psalm 91 Harm You? – Misunderstand It and Misapply It
Make note of this now: Ps 91 is the passage in Scripture that the devil quoted when he wanted to deceive Jesus in Lk 4:10-11. Satan’s plot was to pull Ps 91:10-12 out of its context and make it mean something very different from what it meant. In Satan’s interpretation of it, he wanted Jesus to think that, if Jesus had enough faith, he would never have to experience any difficulties in this world; indeed, he would never even have to stub his toe. And, this is what some people have said about Ps 91 over the centuries since Satan lied to Jesus about this, i.e., that if you have enough faith in Jesus, you should never have to suffer at all in this world.
So, listen carefully: Ps 91 is not saying that if you trust God enough, you will find he will not let you go through any difficulties. That’s what Job’s false comforters said to him when he went through so many hardships. Do you remember what God said to them? “You have not spoken the truth about me (Job 42:7).”
Satan’s plot is to make you think that, if God lets you suffer, he’s not true to his Word. If you believe that, you’ll soon be disillusioned as you live in this world. Hardships are still a part of this world this side of heaven. Misunderstand Ps 91 and you’ll become bitter. That’s what Satan wants, of course.
Ps 91:1 speaks of you being able to rest in spite of being in a world filled with realities like a scorching sun. It doesn’t say that God will take the sun away. No, he promises to be a place of shade from the sun’ heat.
And, as you move to v. 3, Scripture speaks of another way God protects us in this world, i.e., “The Almighty will save you from the fowler’s snare.” The fowler was a trapper and the snare was a trap. God did not stop the trapper. God did not take away the trap. Instead, God said, “If you get trapped, I will get you out. Run to the secret place and I not allow that trapper and his trap to do any eternal harm to the person you are!”
You see, the trapper wants to take a bird down from the height of what God has created that bird to be and to do. The trapper wants to bring it down to the reach of its enemy. So, there are traps in this world that seek to bring you down from where God would have you be. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Made in the image of God, you were created to fly by living the life that God has made you to live. But, you find yourself trapped by the trappers of this world – by addictions to things like pornography, by anger in your relationships, or by the frustration of your finances. Satan’s plot is to make you think that, God would never allow you to experience any of those trappers or traps – that believe hard enough and you’ll be immune to them. It’s a deceitful plot.
So, don’t be surprised when you feel the heat of hard times or the enticement of traps in this world. The enemies of the kingdom of God – i.e., the devil, the world and your own human cravings are real – and will continue to be at work until Jesus returns and makes all things new.
When you read Ps 91:3-13, you’ll find the Psalmist talking about the kinds of things that can trap you in this world: disease, plagued, death, disaster, lions, snakes, etc. God never said that you will not have to experience such things. It’s Satan’s deceitful plot to make you think otherwise. So, what does God promise in the Psalm?
- The Promise: What Does Psalm 91 Declare? -- The Lord says, “I will rescue him; I will protect him… I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him (91:14-15).”
I think v. 4 is one of the most beautiful statements in all of Scripture about what God promises to do when the fowler tries to trap the birds or when the threatening storms of life seem overwhelming. God -- “the Most High, the Almighty, a refuge and a fortress in vv. 1-2 -- wants us to know in v. 4 that he is also like a loving mother hen caring for her chicks: He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.
In case you haven’t been on many farms and have not seen anything like this, let me show you this brief video so that you can see that God does: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-oz4dnh2G0
What this means is that all who belong to God – who have become children of God by faith -- will rest with the confidence that God is greater than whatever happens on earth, that he is always with us, and he will use his power to protect us. When we become those who dwell in the secret place, v. 10 says nothing can happen that will do us eternal harm, i.e., do irreparable damage to the persons we are and rob us of our lives in God. Ultimately, even the worst this world can throw at us will not prove to be a disaster for God’s children, i.e., something that is so destructive of your inner being and your life in God that it cannot be restored.
With that in mind, hear this truth of Scripture: If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your paths (91:9-11a).
I see Ps 91 as being the Old Testament equivalent of Rom 8:35-39: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
That’s the promise. Now, the path.
The Path: How Do You Get to the Secret Place? I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust (91:2).”
When trouble comes, I think we find ourselves asking, “Where is that secret place? What’s the address? How can I plug it into my GPS and get there right now?” “Where is the school that’s safe for my children?” “Where is the job that’s safe and cannot be taken away?” “Where is the relationship to a guy who will not abuse me or be unfaithful to me?” “Where is the neighborhood that no thieves or gangs can break into?” “Where is the place in this world that no enemy can follow me – with no worries, no depression…?”
With those questions in mind, I come back to my first point again: The secret place is not any location in this world. The secret place can exist any place we happen to be in this world – for it’s in the presence of a Person. Whoever dwells in the safe place of the Most High will rest in the shade of the Almighty. And, the path to that place is trust. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust (91:2).”
Please remember my message from Ps 40. It was about being in dangerous, slimy pits. The formula:
What to Do in a Slimy Pit
Slow Down Remember Ask (wait wait) Act
I told you that one of the hardest parts of this formula is the “wait, wait” part? Today, I want you to know that I have found Ps 91 to fill in what to do in this difficult world when you have to wait for God to step in and show you the next step to take. You can only find rest in the secret place. So, how do you get there?
The word I don’t want you to miss in Ps 91:2 is trust. Trusting in Jesus is the path into the secret place. So, let me add one step to the formula I gave you last week:
What to Do in a Slimy Pit
Slow Down Remember Ask (wait wait) Trust Act
Trust takes you to the secret place. But, know this: Your trust in God will always be tried. Learn to trust him in the challenging times. It’s easy to trust God when you’ve just gotten a raise. It’s not so easy when you’ve lost your job – or when you have to lay your loved one in the grave. If you will learn to be at rest in the turbulence of this world, deep down in your soul you will have to decide this: “Do I really trust God?”
Today, tell God, “I will trust you even when I cannot trace you.” “Lord, I’m confused but I trust you and will live for you.” “Lord, I’m hurting but I trust you and will live for you.” “Lord, I will trust you to be with me and give me new strength when I face that same old temptation again this week.”
And, there is one more critically important thing to see in Ps 91:1-2. It tells us that when we trust God, we dwell with God: The one who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will find rest… God does not invite us to merely to visit him when we get into trouble. The promise of protection is given to those who trust in and “dwell” with him i.e., who live life always aware of and changed by God’s presence.
Life with God becomes your address. God invites you to pack up and move from your self-directed life to his place. When you do that, you have to walk away from the ways of this world that you’ve been living but you know displease God. I find that so many of us, when we say we will trust God and wait for him, too often move back to use our old schemes of getting through difficult things – schemes that have never really worked -- not in a lasting way. So, you go to church, but then you go home and continue to live exactly as you did before. You deceive. You continue to hide your unfaithfulness from those around you. Why do you think you’ll get to a better place when you try to navigate the storms by your same old carnal ways – cheating, lying, deceiving…. It’s time to get rid of those ways and trust God’s ways.
You must be willing to quiet your heart before Him and allow God to investigate those inner recesses you reveal to no one else. Experiencing the protection of the secret place with God demands a life of honesty and transparency. Let me warn you: Don’t invite things that displease God into your secret place with him. That is a peril-filled thing to do. I tell you, living life like that will rob you and eat away at your inner being.
So, that brings us all to the Lord’s Table now. I want you to remember what makes it possible for unholy people like we all are to be able to dwell in the secret place of the Most High. Jesus alone lived the sinless life we all should live – but have not lived. Then, he was willing to die the death we all deserve and to die in our place – to atone for our sins. He defeated both sin and death in his cross and resurrection. And what he calls us to do is to trust him with our entire lives.
Let’s all slow down right now -- and remember. Remember what Jesus did. As you do, confess whatever needs to be confessed to God. He knows it already – so you might as well confess it to him. Then, repent of your sin and recommit yourself to a life of trust in the Lord. In this moment, let us together enter into the secret place of the Most High…
Chinese Study Notes
远古的话语—今天的渴望
渴望隐秘之处
诗篇 91
当我们的孩子Healther 和 Brandon 分别是6岁和2岁的时候，我们搬到伊利诺伊州阿灵顿的一个小房子。 当我作大学校长的时候，我们换了一个有新又大的房子，但孩子们还是喜欢那个小房子，其中一个重要原因是那里下楼右转有一个隐秘的活动室，有点像这张照片:
我知道孩子们会毫不犹豫地说，他们的隐秘屋要好太多了，更隐蔽、更神秘、更有趣，他们愿意去那里阅读、用乐高玩具创造奇迹、逃避学校和日常生活的喧嚣。那是他们的隐秘处，不会被考试的坏成绩、家庭争吵和邻舍孩子的欺负所破坏。
当我准备今天讲诗90篇时，我想起了这间隐秘屋。作为你们的主任牧师，在我最后的讲道系列，我选择了诗篇—它在我的信仰之旅上给我带来了生命的引导和改变。上周我们谈到诗40篇，讲了在人生泥沼时该如何做，特别是在你不知道往哪里去、不知道如何走出来的时候。还记得我给你们的那个公式么？慢下来-记住（神过去的作为并默想之）-寻求（在祷告中交托给神）-等候再等候（常常很难做到）-行动（照着神给你的带领走一步）
你们许多人表示认同我所说的，最难的部分就是“等候再等候”。因为让我们陷入泥沼的问题并不会因我们等候就消失了，甚至还感到它们可以毁了我们。常常就是这样，所以我要告诉你们为什么诗91篇在我与神同行的时候如此重要。
诗91篇所谈的是在我们等候时神的保护。经历神所应许的保护和平安的钥匙就是正确理解91：1节。我可以帮助你们记住。911这三个数字是你需要保护的时候拨打的号码，对吗？我们读91篇时，可以看到诗人谈及发生在我们生命中破坏我们平安的各种紧急事情，但诗篇告诉我们，不只是在诗人的世界，也在我们的世界里，我们的父神与我们同在，比一切击打我们的危机都大。
让我们仔细看诗人如何开始“911之诗”来谈论神的保护：住 在 至 高 者 隐 密 处 的 ， 必 住 在 全 能 者 的 荫 下 今天，我要你们注意 1）处所，2）阴谋，3）应许以及 4）路径。
- 处所:什么是至 高 者 隐 密 处 ?
“隐秘处”的希伯来意思是 “隐藏” 和 “封闭”，大多数英文译本翻作 “避难处”，因为应许是这样的：我们在全能者的荫下被护佑，我们必能得以安息。诗人所生活的以色列处在炎热的沙漠地带，人们常常要寻找躲避太阳灼热的地方，人们很容易理解荫庇的意思，就是让人躲避太阳的灼伤。
不过这个词比太阳和暴雨中的藏身处有更深的意思，它描述一个处所可以保护我们免于世上任何人和事的伤害。事实上，在出埃及记33：20，当摩西要与神单独相遇时，神解释说没有一个罪人能看见圣洁的神之后可以存活，换句话说，摩西所求的对他并非安全。于是神允许摩西看他的荣耀---但是只能在一个藏身的地方，一个“隐秘处” 观看。
这让我记起我孩子小的时候特别喜欢的家中隐秘屋，或者你可以想想“美国国家安全处所”（NSP）运动： 这是为18岁以下的儿童和青少年在需要紧急帮助和安全的时候（暴风雨、火灾、流氓、霸凌等）所运作的项目，当有需要的时候，孩子们可以去到有NSP 标记的地方躲避伤害。
在读91篇的时候，我很清楚神知道创世纪3章中的那个完美世界现在变成了什么样：我们今天所处的世界充满泥沼，充满了对我们刻毒的人。但是91篇宣告了神为我们设计了藏身处，不让持续的伤害临到投奔过来的人。这是一个隐秘处，不太为人所知，也不让任何人或事伤害住在其中的人。91篇所描述的不是一个物理位置，而是至高神自己的同在：“住 在 至 高 者 隐 密 处 的 ， 必 住 在 全 能 者 的 荫 下”，神的同在就是那隐秘处。
- 阴谋: 91篇如何伤害你? – 错误理解、错误应用
现在要记住：魔鬼在路4：10-11中引用了91篇来欺骗耶稣。撒旦的诡计是断章取义地拿出91：10-12，曲解其原本意义。照撒旦的说法，如果耶稣有足够的信心，就不会经历这个世界上的任何困难，连脚趾都毫发无损。因为撒旦的谎言，多少世纪以来，人们也如此认为：假如你对耶稣有足够的信心，你在这个世界就不会有痛苦。
仔细听：91篇不是这样说的，这是约伯经历许多苦难时那些假意安慰约伯的人所说的。还记得神如何驳斥他们的么？“你们议论我的都不对（伯42；7）！”
撒旦的阴谋就是让你认为：如果神允许你受苦，那是因为他不信守承诺。你若信了这个，你很快就会因你所处的世界而迷失---困境依然是这个世界的一部分。错误理解91篇，会让你心中苦毒，而这正是撒旦所要的。
91:1告诉你，尽管世界上充满危害如同灼热的太阳，你仍然能够得以安息。这并非说神会拿走太阳，不，神所应许的是作你躲避骄阳的荫庇处。
第三节描述了神保护我们的另一个方法：“他 必 救 你 脱 离 捕 鸟 人 的 网 罗 ” 捕鸟人设置网罗，但神并没有取走捕鸟人，也没有挪去网罗，而却应许说：“如果你被捕到，我要救你出来！跑向我的隐秘处，我不会允许捕鸟人和网罗带给你永恒的伤害!”
捕鸟人想把鸟从神让它们栖息的高处捕住，要把鸟拿下好让仇敌得着。世上也有这样的网罗要把我们从神让我们所在之处拿下。不要被欺骗，你是有神的形象的，你被造是要照着神要你的样式生活，但你发现自己中了世界的网罗—沉迷于色情，被愤怒纠缠，为财务所困…撒旦要你相信神不会让你遇到捕鸟人和网罗，相信你是免疫的---这都是骗人的诡计！
如果你感到困境的灼热或是世界的陷阱，请不要以为稀奇；神国的敌人，即魔鬼、世界和我们的私欲都是真的，而且在耶稣回来使万物更新之前还要继续它们的作为。
当你读91：3-13时，你看见诗人谈论了世界上各样可能网罗你的事情：疾病、灾害、死亡、祸患、狮子和蛇，等等。神从未说过你可以对此免疫，是撒旦的阴谋让你那样想。那么，神在诗中应许了什么？
应许: 91篇宣告了什么? -- 我要 搭 救 他 … 我 要 把 他 安 置 在 高 处 … 我 就 应 允 他… 我 要 与 他 同 在 …我 要 搭 救 他 (91:14-15).
我认为第4节是圣经中最美的一个应许，即当捕鸟人抓住了鸟或生命中骇人的风暴袭扰时，神要做什么。神，至高、全能的那一位，他是避难所、是保障（1-2节），他要我们知道，他像一个慈爱的母鸡看护自己的小鸡：他 必 用 自 己 的 翎 毛 遮 蔽 你 ； 你 要 投 靠 在 他 的 翅 膀 底 下 。
若你没有农场经历，没有见过这是怎么回事，我给你们放一段简短的录像，看看神要怎样做: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-oz4dnh2G0
这意味着所有属于神的，即凭信成为神儿女的，都当安心信靠神，他比世界的一切都大，他常与我们同在，并以他的大能保护我们。当我们在他的隐秘处里，10节说，没有什么能带给我们永恒的伤害，即没有什么能对我们造成不可修复的损害，也没有什么能夺去我们在上帝里面的永生。就算世上最坏的事冲向我们，也无法对神的儿女构成灾害，不能摧毁我们内在的人，不能使我们在上帝里面的生命失丧。
记住这些，并请听听圣经的真理：耶 和 华 是 我 的 避 难 所 ； 你 已 将 至 高 者 当 你 的 居 所 ， 祸 患 必 不 临 到 你 ， 灾 害 也 不 挨 近 你 的 帐 棚 。 因 他 要 为 你 吩 咐 他 的 使 者 ， 在 你 行 的 一 切 道 路 上 保 护 你 （91：9-11a）
我认为91篇是与罗马书8：35-39相呼应的： 谁 能 使 我 们 与 基 督 的 爱 隔 绝 呢 ？ 难 道 是 患 难 么？ 是 困 苦 么？ 是 逼 迫 么 ？ 是 饥 饿 么 ？ 是 赤 身 露 体 么 ？ 是 危 险 么 ？ 是 刀 剑 么 ？ 如 经 上 所 记 ： 我 们 为 你 的 缘 故 终 日 被 杀 ； 人 看 我 们 如 将 宰 的 羊 。 然 而 ， 靠 着 爱 我 们 的 主 ， 在 这 一 切 的 事 上 已 经 得 胜 有 馀 了 。 因 为 我 深 信 无 论 是 死 ， 是 生 ， 是 天 使 ， 是 掌 权 的 ， 是 有 能 的 ， 是 现 在 的 事 ， 是 将 来 的 事 ， 是 高 处 的 ， 是 低 处 的 ， 是 别 的 受 造 之 物 ， 都 不 能 叫 我 们 与 神 的 爱 隔 绝 ； 这 爱 是 在 我 们 的 主 基 督 耶 稣 里 的 。
这是应许，让我们看看路径。
路径: 如何到达隐秘处? 我 要 论 到 耶 和 华 说 ： 他 是 我 的 避 难 所 ， 是 我 的 山 寨 ， 是 我 的 神 ， 是 我 所 倚 靠 的 (91:2).”
当麻烦来临，我们都会问：“隐秘处在哪里？地址是什么？如何设我的GPS 现在就去？” 或是“哪所学校对孩子是安全的？” “哪个工作最稳定不会被炒？” “怎么和一个虐待我、背叛我的人保持关系？” “哪个社区最安全，没有贼和抢劫？” “世上有何地方没有敌人跟踪我—没有担忧、没有忧郁…?”
要回答这些问题，还是回到我的第一点：隐秘处不是世上的什么物理位置，它可以在我们所处的任何地方---即全能者同在之处。住 在 至 高 者 隐 密 处 的 ， 必 住 在 全 能 者 的 荫 下 。那通向它的道路是真实的: 我 要 论 到 耶 和 华 说 ： 他 是 我 的 避 难 所 ， 是 我 的 山 寨 ， 是 我 的 神 ， 是 我 所 倚 靠 的 。（91：1-2）
请记住我在上周讲诗40篇时所说的，走出危险、泥沼的公式：
在泥沼中怎么办
慢下来 记住 寻求 (等候再等候) 行动
这公式中最难的部分就是“等候再等候”。今天我要从91篇告诉你，当你在困境中等候神的介入并指示你下一步的时候当如何做：你当在他的隐秘处安息。但你如何到那里呢？
91：2节中最重要的一个词是倚靠。倚靠耶稣就是通往隐秘处的道路。那么，让我在上周的公式中加一项：
在泥沼中怎么办
慢下来 记住 寻求 (等候再等候) 倚靠 行动
倚靠可以把你带到隐秘处，但记住，你对神的倚靠常常要经受挑战，所以越是有挑战，越要学习倚靠的功课。当你升职了，你容易倚靠神；但你失去工作就不容易倚靠神。再比如，当你心爱的人去世的时候，你会觉得容易么？若你要学习在危机四伏的世界得安歇，你就不得不在内心深处做决定：我是否真地倚靠神？
那么今天就告诉神：“我要倚靠你，就算我寻不到你的足迹！”“主啊，我很困惑，但我还是要依靠你，为你而活！” “主啊，我虽然受到创伤，但我还要依靠你，为你而活！” “主啊，当我在这周又一次遇到试探时，我要相信你的同在，相信你会赐我新的力量！”
91:1-2节中还要一件至关重要的事，告诉我们，当我们信靠神的时候，我们就是住在他里面：住 在 至 高 者 隐 密 处 的 ， 必 住 在 全 能 者 的 荫 下 ……神并没有在我们有困难时只是邀请我们访问他，他保护的应许是给那些信靠他并住在他里面的人---他们的生命常常意识到神的同在，并因此而改变。
我记得我在生命中开始应用91篇的场景。那是我第一年大学校长任职将满之际，我发现学校的财务问题很严重。我作了多年的牧师，对于校长需要面对的复杂性真是头大。
我越了解学校的财务状况，就越感到自己缺少能力做好这工作，也越充满焦虑。我太太Chris可以做见证我当时是多么不安，以致失眠。我在这种情形下读到91：1，住 在 至 高 者 隐 密 处 的 ， 必 住 在 全 能 者 的 荫 下 我读的时候，开始慢下来祷告。
我多希望可以告诉你们我的焦虑就此消融，神赐给我解决办法……但那不是真的。我要告诉你们的是，那一天起我开始新的步骤，我放慢节奏，减少忧虑，记念神在过去一次次的作为，祈求神的介入，等候神的指引，我决定有意识地进入神的“隐秘处”，再次向神委身。我发现自己必须有意识地离弃自己，向神委身---我还在学习这个功课，但我可以告诉你们，当我花时间这样做的时候，我重新出现在学校里时，有平安和心里准备去面对生活的挑战。
神要我们收拾好，离开自我导向的生命，就是自我为主的生命去他那里住。当你这样做的时候，你要离弃你一直生活的世界，离弃不讨神喜悦的生命。我发现太多的人，口口声声说信靠神、等候神，但常常回到人的方法上去度过难关，但人的方法很难奏效，更不会持久。为什么我们常常认为可以用肉体的办法渡过风暴去到更好地方---许多时候，那些办法都是谎言和欺骗！是离开它们，信靠神道路的时候了！
经历神的保护，在隐秘处与神同在，需要你在神面前有一个诚实、透明的生命，我要警告你们：不要把不讨神喜悦的东西带到他的隐秘处，那将是危险的！
现在让我们来到主的桌前，我要你们记住究竟是什么让我们这样不圣洁的人得以在至高者的隐秘处居住。唯独耶稣活出了我们当活出的无罪生命，为我们的罪付上赎价。他藉着十字架和复活击败了罪和死亡，他要我们全身心信靠他。
让我们现在放慢，记念耶稣所做的，向主承认自己一切的过犯；其实他都知道，所以你当向他赤露敞开。然后为罪悔改，委身自己信靠主。此时，让我们一起进入至高者的隐秘处……
荣耀归给神！
Greg Waybright 博士
主任牧师