“He that dwells in the secret place of the Most-High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” – Psalm 91:1

I still don’t think there is anything that compares with spending time out in the wild with someone in a tent. It brings about an incredible sense of bonding and connection.

In today’s meditation, we focus on the word ‘dwell.’

In the Greek, the word for ‘dwell’ is ‘oikeo,’ from which we get ‘oikos’ (a homestead or palace).

It is from this word that we get ‘kataikeo,’ which means ‘to settle down or dwell fixedly in a place’ – basically to become a permanent inhabitant of a place as contrasted to merely visiting or passing through it.

‘Shakan,’ the Hebrew word for ‘dwell,’ means to stay in a tent/booth. It forms the root for the word ‘shekinah,’ which refers to the ‘manifest presence/glory of God.’

The psalmist’s use of the poetic term ‘dwell in the secret place’ mirrors both the tent and the pillar of the cloud and fire that led the Children of Israel during the Exodus and “He did not take away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night from them” (Exodus 13).

In other words, He made the Children of Israel permanent ‘inhabitants’ in His presence, not visitors who would come and go.

As was the case for the vulnerable Israelites during the Exodus, our reward for ‘dwelling in the secret place’ is endlessly reveling in His Providence and protection, safe from the perils and troubles of the world.

Numbers 9:17-23 gives this idea another dimension. It says that when the cloud moved from its place over the people, the Israelites would move, and wherever the cloud stopped, they would camp.

For as long as the cloud remained over them, they remained camped; sometimes the cloud stayed for a long time; sometimes only a day or a few days or a month or a year. 

As long as it stayed, the people camped, but when it lifted, they moved.

That is exactly what it means to ‘dwell in the secret place’ – poetically describing the place of a permanent, deeply intimate, and protected existence in the spiritual realm.

‘Dwelling in the secret place’ is a metaphor for that close and personal relationship under the constant leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, which persists until eternity.

And just as the most intimate conversations and interactions normally occur in secluded and private spaces, this metaphor suggests the maintaining of that deep connection and fellowship with Christ on an hour by hour, day by day and year by year basis – world without end.

In essence, it means living your life in constant awareness of His presence inside and around you – influencing your life and constantly aligning your every thought, action, and conversation to His will.

Ultimately, the presence of the Almighty God – the Most-High – becomes the ultimate permanent shelter and covering under His wings.

As was the case for the vulnerable Israelites during the Exodus, our reward for ‘dwelling in the secret place’ is endlessly reveling in His Providence, safe and protected from the perils and troubles of this fallen world.

Today, the invitation to dwell with Him in that secret place is still open to everyone of us.