He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty

(Psalm 91:1 NKJV).

The Hebrew word for secret comes from a root word that means to hide, protect or cover in such a way that sins or wrongs are hidden or kept secret. In other words, the secret place is a protective covering where the stronger covers the weaker.

The first thing that happened to Adam and Eve after they sinned in the garden was that they lost their covering:

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings (Genesis 3:7 NKJV).

They no longer dwelled in the secret place of the Most High or under the shadow of the Almighty. They had lost their holy covering and tried to sew something together so that they could cover themselves.

But in Isaiah chapter 51, God says:

Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn…For the Lord comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord;  joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song (51:1-4 ESV).

Because God goes on to say this:

I am the Lord your God…And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, “You are my people” (51:15a-16 ESV).

God has returned his covering to his people, to those who pursue righteousness and seek the Lord. How is this done? Look to the rock from which you were hewn:

They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer (Psalm 78:35 ESV).

The Hebrew word for rock in this verse is also the word for refuge. God is our Redeemer, our Rock and our Refuge.

When we seek the Lord, when we remember the Rock from which we are hewn, Almighty God covers us with his hand and the voice of song is heard in the land:

“Thus says the Lord: In this place of which you say, ‘It is a waste without man or beast,’ …there shall be heard again the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord:

“Give thanks to the Lord of hosts,

    for the Lord is good,

    for his steadfast love endures forever!”

For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the Lord (Jeremiah 33:10a-11 ESV).

God is our Redeemer, our Rock, our Refuge, our Restorer and our Bridegroom. We are covered by the robe of his righteousness:

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels (Isaiah 61:10ESV).

If this Valentine’s Day you feel sad, alone or not covered by an earthly relationship; or you’re missing loved ones who have gone on before you, please remember that we who are hewn from the Rock of our Salvation dwell with Jesus in the secret place of the Most High and we abide forever under the shadow of the Almighty.

Jesus Christ is our heavenly Bridegroom. In him all things are restored, and he will never leave us nor forsake us. His love for us is everlasting.

Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all they heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord has taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil anymore.

The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing (Zephaniah 3:14-15, 17 KJV).

Jesus loves you, and we love you. Happy Valentine’s Day.