Day Three:

Isaiah 45: 3  I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by name, Am the God of Israel. 

When I was a young girl, I was extremely shy, insecure and introverted, but I had a very colorful inner life.  I was a voracious reader and one of my all time favorite books was The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett . I have always been intrigued by the idea of a secret place, a private, safe place, impervious to the outside world. In fact, we are currently planning a downsize in our property ownership. My dream would be to have a smaller, fenced in yard which I could fashion like a secret garden.

Psalm 91 has long been a life word for me, and I have loved the idea of dwelling in the secret place of God. But when I discovered Isaiah 45:3, I was undone. Wow. God is a lover of secret places too! He calls me by name into His secret place, there to give me the treasures of knowing Him, experiencing Him, discovering Him.

Many years ago, we had family friends who moved from Spokane to Colorado. I was young and was very fond of the son and daughter of those friends. It was hard for me to say goodbye to them. Before they left, on the last time we would see each other, they gave me a secret gift, pictures they had drawn on delicate onion skin paper. I don’t even remember what the pictures were, but I remember how special they made me feel. In fact, I can still hear the crinkle of the paper, and feel its delicate texture. I hid those pictures in a secret place and treasured them. A few years later, our house caught fire and we lost everything. Of all we lost, those pictures were my greatest sorrow. Why? Because they represented the private intimacy of a special friendship. All these years later, the memory of that loss can still evoke tears. In fact, until now, I have never shared that story with anyone, it has remained a secret in my heart of hearts.

Our Heavenly Father, the Creator of the universe, offers that kind of intimacy to us. The unique to each of us secret place of His presence. Listen, do you hear Him? Listen more closely, He is whispering your name, inviting you into a wondrous, place of His presence. Oh the joy, the delight, the absolute glory that awaits you there! Will you answer? Will you step into your secret garden with the One who knows you best and loves you most?

I, the Lord who calls you by name,  will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places…