Bright Closets

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Matthew 6:6

    Anyone who has attended our meetings has heard me say that the true test of a man’s soul is when he’s alone with God. Friend, there is absolutely nothing to compare with getting alone in God’s presence. Robert Murray McCheyne once said, “A calm hour with God is worth a whole lifetime with man.” How true this statement is. A personal word from God in the quiet solitude of my study means more to me than anything man can say. When I’m alone with Jesus, all my problems, all the struggles, all the dark clouds seem to be so insignificant. My prayer closet becomes the brightest place on earth. Horatius Bonar wrote,

    Our closets are the only places of light in a world which has now become doubly dark to us. All without and around is gloom. Clouds overshadow the whole region. Only the closet is bright and calm. We could spend our whole time in this happy island of light which God has provided for us in the midst of a stormy ocean. When compelled, at times, to leave it, how gladly do we return to it! What peaceful hours of solitude we have there, with God for our one companion! We can almost forget that the clouds of earth are still above us, and its tempests still rioting around us.

    Thank God you have taken time to get alone with Jesus. An assuring word from the lips of our Lord will mean more to you than any counsel man can give. Spend as much time as you can in the brightest place on earth—your prayer closet.