there's a place for us!

There’s a place for us, somewhere a place for us, peace and quiet and open air ….. or so the song from West Side Story goes! Many of us have favourite places that we try and keep secret and private to us so we can escape there. They can be holiday destinations that are returned to again and again. For some it might be the shed at the bottom of the garden. Often, by the coast near to where I live, you see benches and seats overlooking the sea dedicated to a person who has died saying that this was their favourite spot. My wife and I have a place that we return to again and again. We know we can relax there, switch off and really recuperate. Just writing about it makes me want to be on my way there immediately!

Biblically, secret places were where you met with and spent time with God. In the secret places that I love, I often sense His presence with me more easily there than at other times. Jesus was often trying to escape to the secret place – to the quiet place so he could be with His Father. His friends would have to go looking for him!

In Matthew 6 v1-18 Jesus talked of three things that are the result of spending time in the secret place. They can seem to be rather

uncomfortable to us in our materialistic society but when we do them we become more like Jesus and enter into the very heart of relationship with God and what that means. Spending time in the secret place will affect us. Jesus says, ‘when you give to the needy’ in v3, ‘when you pray’ in v6 and ‘when you fast’ in v16. Three times Jesus calls us to give up things to invest into others. When we give we give up our money but invest in

others, when we pray we give up our time to spend it with Jesus and when we fast we give up food to feast on all that heaven has for us.

Some busy parents often say that the only secret place for them is in the loo! John Wesley who was the great preacher of the 18^th century and founder of Methodism had a mother called Susanna. Many times finding a quiet place to meet with God was one of her big challenges. Susanna Wesley was a mother of 19 children, and when she wanted to spend time with God she would sit down in her kitchen and pull her apron up over her head. She would then spend time in prayer and the children knew not to disturb her! Imagine that! Susanna Wesley was serious about her faith. She said, “There are two things to do about the gospel--believe it and behave it.” Spending time with God will challenge us. Will we obey?