Topic: Desiring Spiritual Intimacy [Joseph Prince Devotional 19 June 2021]
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Desiring Spiritual Intimacy
“You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.”
Genesis 45:10–11
The “secret place” speaks of a place in Christ, but it also speaks of intimacy. To be “under the shadow of the Almighty” is to be close to Him.
There are times when I travel to Israel with my pastors and the sun is scorching hot. When we are outdoors, whether it is on the Mount of Beatitudes or in Capernaum, we always look forward to being under the shadow of a tree.
The difference in temperature when we are under the protective shelter of a tree is like night and day. Out in the open, we wouldn’t last long under the scorching heat of the sun. But under the shadow of a tree, we can sit for hours, enjoying a time of refreshing as we discuss the Word of God.
Beloved, being under the shadow of the Almighty speaks of closeness, intimacy, and protection. It speaks of a place of refreshing, coolness, and rest.
When Psalm 91 talks about dwelling in the “secret place” of the Most High, that secret place is not a geographical location, but spiritual intimacy with our Lord Jesus. In the same way, the prayer of protection is not an incantation or some kind of magic chant that grants you protection. It is you valuing your position in Christ and your close relationship with Him, and being found in that secret place with Him.
For more than a decade now, I have been teaching my church to declare Psalm 91 over themselves and their loved ones and to be conscious of the close relationship we as believers have with our Lord Jesus.
Some years ago, I received a testimony of divine protection from a businessman who attended our church. He had been on a business trip and was staying at the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia. While he was in the lobby of the hotel, a bomb was detonated right outside and it tore through the lobby.
The blast was so powerful that he saw a body flying past him. After the dust had settled, he realized that although his shirt was splattered with blood, and debris was strewn all around him, he was completely unharmed. Amazingly, he had stepped behind a pillar at the very moment the bomb went off, and that pillar had shielded him from the direct impact of the explosion.
Just think of what could have happened if this man had not reached the pillar at the precise second the bomb went off. All praise and glory to our Lord Jesus who watches over His own!