THE SECRET PLACE OF THUNDER
Psalms 81:7 (ESV) In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder …
God answers “in the secret place of thunder.” (ESV) What is the secret place of thunder? We can tend to think of the secret place as quiet, intimate, and safe (Matt. 6:6; SOS 1:4; 5:1), but here it is described as loud, terrifying, and awesome. It is not safe, but it is right, and necessary. Sometimes God answers our cry in the secret place with a still small voice of comfort, love, and assurance (1 Kings 19:12), but other times He answers with thunder, boldly getting in our business loudly, clearly, and not without demands; it’s as if He thinks He’s God. Thunder is what makes lightening so awesome; it accents it well, like a good orchestral set in the background of a movie. Lightening first, which is awesome, then the thunder, which is terrifying; the whole event pushes the adrenal glands, especially when out in the open and vulnerable. Sounds like heaven (Eze 1:13-14; Rev 4:5; 14:2).
One summer vacation my family hit the trails in the New Mexico mountains when a bad storm rolled in with hard rain, lightening, and loud thunder all around. Being on a mountain in a thunderstorm is both exciting and terrifying. Hikers have been killed in these types of storms; the danger was real. The four of us hunkered down, ponchos deflecting sheets of rain, but nothing to shield us from the lightening. We prayed, each our own unique prayer. My wife confessed sin and prayed for protection; my son was unconcerned, confident it wasn’t his time yet; I rebuked the storm; and my daughter praised God in amazement, comparing the storm’s awe to the flashes of lightening, rumblings, and peals of thunder found in heaven’s beauty realm (Rev 4:5). She’s our adrenaline junkie, and probably the most spiritual in that moment, but all responses were right. The storm subsided and we managed our way down the mountain through the tall wet grass, living to hike another day. Storms are dangerous! God is more dangerous! People can get hurt in God’s presence, ask Jacob; he limped afterwards (Gen 32:25). As wonderful as encountering God's presence can be, it may leave a mark, one that represents a new level of glory and destiny, a trade off much in our favor. Remember and be thankful for the scars that remind you of the times when you thought it was all over, yet He heard your cry (Ps 40:1) and, with awesome might and glory, He came; and you encountered. You may have a limp, but it is a glorious limp, testifying that no sin, no addiction, and no power, neither angel nor demon, can separate you from the love of God (Rom 8:38-39) who comes to you in the secret place of thunder, dangerously addressing the destructive elements in your life, delivering, liberating, and transforming.
