Secret Place

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

—Psalm 91:1

 

Many of the newer translations of this passage use the word “shelter” instead of “secret place.” However, I think the King James Version (or in the case above the New King James Version [NKJV]) has a better translation because one need not limit the noun to merely a shelter (Hebrew, “cether”) as a structural entity. “Cether” can suggest construction of a physical nature, here it leans more toward a meaning akin to circumstances of secrecy, safe keeping, or protection. When dwelling in the secret place of God’s providence, faithful believers purposefully invest their trust in the One who promises to be the steward of their ultimate good in all things. 

 

I did a deeper dive into the word “secret place” or “shelter” for a reason. LGBTQ+ people spend part of their life in the closet. In a heteronormative world, we are seen as different which causes us to hide that part of ourselves until we feel comfortable to come out. You could say, “we dwell in a secret place.” I think Psalm 91 has a special meaning for LGBTQ+ Christians. The psalm is titled in the NKJV as, “Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God.”

 

Here I want to give you the whole of Psalm 91 (don’t worry, I won’t do a deep dive into all 16 verses):

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.”

 

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

 

A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

 

Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

 

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”

Some people would see the “closet” as living a lie, but it is our “secret place” where we dwell in the shadow of God. We are closeted because we are scared and want to be safe. Some people can’t come out because it is dangerous for them. They are abandoned and disowned by their families and are forced to live in the streets, or they are forced to go through some type of religious therapy to make them straight. For many of us, coming out of the closet is a fear that we cannot confront, and we are constantly in fear that we will be found out. 

 

For many LGBTQ+ Christians who were raised in a conservative Christian environment, it is a struggle to accept ourselves in the face of those who tell us we are unnatural or an abomination. The fear of an eternity in Hell scares us, and we struggle with admitting that we are the way God made us. I have always said that “Christians” who preach hate are not Christians. They are people who use their religion as a way to discriminate and oppress others. If they believed in a universally loving God, then there would be no reason to have to come out and there would be no hate. Universal love and acceptance are a utopian world that we sadly do not live in. However, we live in a society (especially in non-authoritarian countries), where we can fight for that acceptance. It is a constant struggle, but it is a struggle where we “abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

 

Psalm 91 tells us that we are safe under God’s shadow. I’ll be honest, I am at odds with my understanding of how God is in our daily lives. When I see good people suffer or die, especially “before their time,” it is hard for me to understand how God can let this happen. I don’t think it’s a question that I or anyone else can answer. However, I know we can take comfort in God’s love for us. When we are closeted, we do so for our safety, and I think God guides us through that safety net. When it’s our time to come out, if we ever do, I think we do so with God’s blessing, but I think we also can live in the closet with God’s blessing. He loves and protects us, though that protection may just be the comfort we take in our beliefs.

 

For many, believing in God is a comfort. It is our safety net. Believing that God exists gives me the strength to continue day to day. I look to God for guidance, and I pray that I recognize the signs of His guidance. I also believe that for those “who dwells in the secret place,” in this instance the closet, we do so “under the shadow of the Almighty.” God understands that the circumstances for being able to come out are varied, and everyone has their own struggle with coming out. For some, it is easier than others, but for those who it is not easy for, God will shelter them until the time comes to live outside of that “secret place.” There are two things we must understand, no one should be forced out of the closet, and we need to have understanding for those who remain in the closet. That being said, I have an exception to that rule: I have no pity for closeted people who do harm to the LGBTQ+ community just to hide their own sexuality. That is when someone is living a lie that cannot be tolerated by us or by God.