Worship: Hidden Riches in Secret Places

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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 your name,

Am the God of Israel.

- Isaiah 45:3

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD,
 "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust."
- Psalm 91:1-2





He made darkness His secret place;
His canopy around Him was dark waters
And thick clouds of the skies.
- Psalm 18:11





There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn...
-Psalm 46:4-5





If then you were raised with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ is,
sitting at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
- Colossians 3:1-3





"Listen, O coastlands, to Me,
And take heed, you peoples from afar!
The LORD has called Me from the womb;
From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.
And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword;
In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me,
And made Me a polished shaft;
In His quiver He has hidden Me."
-Isaiah 49:1, 2





For thus says the LORD GOD, the Holy One of Israel:
" In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength."
- Isaiah 30:15

Another month is coming to an end. For me, that means it's time for another blog post. I have to force myself to get away, put down whatever it is that has my attention, quiet myself before my Father, sit at 
His feet, and inquire of Him: What is the life lesson you want me to share on my blog for this month?

In a previous season, this blog was a place for me to share my life stories. 

It still is. However, this year, my motivation for doing blog entries has shifted gears. I certainly did not plan on doing that. Let's just say that the circumstances of the past months have compelled me to do it that way.

Force.

Compel.

In just three short paragraphs, I have used two verbs that could indicate the direction in which my life is moving... or that certain things are happening which are causing me to write blog posts in a way I had not really intended. 

A few times I went back to read the online journal entries written during the early years of this weblog as the year 2008 was just beginning.

My husband Ernie and I were living in Chiang Mai, Thailand then. In those days, I was dealing with a completely different set of concerns.

After Ernie passed away in November 2008, understandably, the direction of my life began to change. This did not happen very quickly... but the changes came in stages.


This year, my 60th year, I can tell that Abba Father is doing something very deep. He is uprooting some deep-seated issues within my heart. I cannot really put it into words ... all I can say is that there seems to be a birth process going on. I am certain that as the months come and go, I will be able to have a clearer understanding of what is happening.

One noticeable inner change is that the fruit is maturing and ripening.

I have not been able to write often here, only one post each month these days, which is the reason why I really need to take time to get away from whatever it is that is occupying my attention at the moment, and be intentional about doing my end-of-the month post.

Otherwise the opportunity to evaluate and take stock of where I am at this point will soon pass me by. Writing down the vision always helps me have a better picture, a firm grasp of what God is doing... where I have been... and where I am going.

God's specific instructions to the prophet Habakkuk:

"Write the vision

And make it plain on tablets,

That he may run who reads it.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time;

But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.

Though it tarries, wait for it;

Because it will surely come,

It will not tarry."

So I sit at the feet of my Father and listen to what He wants to tell me about this month that is about to end. It is impossible to squeeze into one single post all the events of the past thirty days. That is why my posts are not really about events per se.  Rather than being a mere chronicle of events, my entries are more about the significance, the meaning of the events of these past four weeks.

There are precious life lessons to be gleaned from the days of this month.

"Glean" is a beautiful word that means " to gather grain or other produce left by reapers."

Re-harvesting the grain or crops that have been left behind, that's how I look at it.

Harvesting is definitely not a quick job... 

But gleaning is even more tedious. While the reapers have already taken what can be easily seen and reached, the gleaner needs to look more closely... to be deliberate... and intentional. Gleaning a handful of grain at a time, a fruit at a time, a few stalks of vegetables or root crops at a time...

The Gleaners

by Jean-Francois Millet

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Gleaning thus requires that I take a careful look at what the events of this month have done to my heart, because what I glean is what will feed, nourish, and feed my soul.

This month, I sense God is talking to me about the treasures of darkness, the hidden riches that can be found only in secret places. Places not commonly visited or frequented by others.

I have always loved the word hiddenness. In the decade of my pruning, in the nineties, this was the word I embraced. It was a season of being obscure, like beef stew simmering in the back burner, I was hidden, away from the eyes of the world, because God was doing a new thing in my life.

Yet in that hidden place of pain, I eventually found solace and warmth, like a caterpillar within a cocoon.

And somehow, at times it feels like I never left the season of being hidden.

I know there has been growth, and transformation. Yet, in many ways, I still feel very much hidden.

There is less striving in me these days. It's all right if the dishes are left undone. It's okay if things don't go as planned.  I can choose which battles are worth fighting.

It's okay if I am not loved or understood... as long as I do not fail others in that area.

And I have long found out who my real friends are.



I am also choosing the kind of words I speak.

I am not really a talkative person - but I can also talk a lot if I want to. But these days, I just prefer to be more quiet. Now I can understand what my Papa used to tell me when I was young: "Hija (young daughter), let your words be few. You don't always have to let people know what you think... And try to stay away from people who talk too much. One's breeding is seen in the way one speaks."  

Words of wisdom from a truly wise man. And now that I have turned 60, I know only too well what he meant when he said those words of admonition to me and my sister.

I do appreciate this time of realizing that my Father is always calling me close to His heart, in the secret place. In that place, I may not have everything I thought I needed or wanted or aimed for... but it is a place of contentment and peace. Being satisfied with what the Father wants for me. Because what Abba Father desires for me His child is only the best.

Derek Prince in one of his teachings warns us about worshiping something other than God Himself. What we worship will always control us, without our being aware of it.

Pastor Vince Arnaldo, at the start of this month, spoke on what it means to disciple our hearts. He says that if our hearts are in the right place, then our emotions is our best friend. They will give a correct reading, they will draw us close to God.

Gary Celis spoke on the fruit of discipleship, the result or the outworking of Christlikeness in our lives - the fruit of character followed by the fruit of influence.

Intentional living, I want to call it that.

And to hammer down the lesson God had for me this month, Pastor Michael in Victory church last Sunday spoke about true worship. 

"True worship is coming to God in wholehearted and unbroken communion."

"Whatever it is that you sacrifice your time, efforts, and resources for -- that is what you worship."

"We can know what we worship based on what we're willing to sacrifice for... what we're most passionate about."

Wow! Those words really hit the nail right on the head.

I've been asking God these past few days... what am I worshiping, Lord?

I know in my head my desire and my goal are to worship nobody else but God alone. But I want to hear from God what He has to say about the matter.

Well, in a nutshell... God is pointing to some Isaacs that I need to lay on the altar of sacrifice, and surrender to Him.

What I love about God is the gentle way He conducts heart surgery. Not condemning, never accusing.

So merciful, so compassionate.

He touches a tender spot in my heart. I'm still very much in love with myself, no matter what I say. 

Slowly I'm getting to the place where God wants me to be. In the secret place of the Most High.

Releasing my whole life to Him.

Being hidden in Him is to live a life of wholehearted and unbroken communion.

In the shadow of His hand He has hidden me.

In His quiver He has hidden me.

What a safe place to be under the shadow of His wings.

When things beyond my control confront me, Abba Father assures me that there is a  purpose. The sifting and the pruning is an ongoing process, but there are treasures of darkness coming my way.

Abba Father tells me:

 Look for Me in the secret place. That's where the hidden riches are to be found.

I wish I could be more specific about the things I am sharing here. But I choose not to be. There are issues and concerns that I am lifting up in secret before my heavenly Father for Him to take care of. And lately, I can see signs that He is beginning to act on my behalf.

Abraham willingly offered his only son, not knowing it was a test from God of where his loyalty lies.

A test to find out who or what he was truly worshiping.

But mercy is the monumental character of Abba Father. And in His mercy, a ram was provided and Isaac was spared.

But first Abraham's faith had to be proven true.

Faith grows strong in the back stages and waiting rooms of life, behind the scenes...

Hiddenness and worship. They go  together. 

My life is hidden in Christ with God.

Darkness is the secret place of God... and I must be willing to go through the dark cloud, the cloud of unknowing, with Him. Because to my Abba, darkness is the same as light.

If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me,"

Even the night shall be light about me;

Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,

But the night shines as the day;

The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

- Psalm 139:11, 12

The month of August was to me a month of preparation. When I returned to Bacolod on the first week of July after spending nearly two months in Manila, it was with the intention of sorting out the affairs of my home (and life) in preparation for a forthcoming overseas trip.

In July and August, I set out to do what needed to be done. Reconnecting with family and friends. Financial details. Legal advice. Ministry. Health. Nurturing and feeding my spirit. 

I arrived back in Manila last weekend and with God's help, many things went as I had planned them, including visits to the cardiologist and the internist. Just this evening, a special document was emailed to me from Bacolod that requires my signature... and it is just in time.

Early on Monday morning, I embark on a 27-hour trip to the United States for a two and a half month visit with beloved family members and friends. This trip is totally unplanned and unexpected. But everything moved and happened so quickly last June. My US visa was approved without much effort on my part, and the itinerary fell into place just as easily. 

Based on my physical location statement for next month, something new is also happening in my spiritual life.

If August, the eighth month of the year, signifies for me a new beginning... September, the ninth month ushers in a spiritual birthing.

So be it, Lord... my life is in Your hands...

As August ends, I gladly share one more life lesson, which is: gleaning the hidden riches from the secret place of worship.

A true worshiper seeks to enter the secret place of worship. 

I want to end this post by saying the same response that Mary gave to the angel:

"Be it done unto me according to Your word, dear Abba Father."

Sharing my worship song for this month:

Sharing twelve life lessons on my 60th year:

January 2013 - Restoration: A Matter of Perspective

February 2013 - Authenticity: A Matter of Trust

March 2013 - Celebration: A Way of Life

April 2013 - Relinquishment: A Journey of Faith

May 2013 - Abiding: The Anatomy of a Birthday

June 2013 - Exchange: My Weakness for His Strength

July 2013 - Divine Appointments: God's Surprise Visits

August 2013 - Worship: Hidden Riches in Secret Places

September 2013 - Longing for Things Unseen: Escape from Reality

October 2013 - God's Favor: A Season of Replacement

November 2013 - Honor: Creating Space