Jeremiah 49:8—Dwell deep.
As originally spoken, these words summoned the people of Edom to seek the shadows of impenetrable forests, and retire into the secrecy of the caves and dens of the rocks. The deeper their hiding place, the better it would be when the storm of invasion swept across the land.
Dwell deep in the peace of God.—God’s peace is so deep and blessed that it cannot be fathomed or explained; the fugitive into its sacred secrets cannot be followed or dragged forth to perish by the merciless pack of the wolves of care. Men of the world cannot understand that mystery of peace; but the believer knows the way into it, and makes it his hiding-place and pavilion. He sleeps like his Master in the stern, while storms sweep the waters.
Dwell deep in communion with God.—Hide in God. Get away from the rush and strife around, and go alone into the clear, still depths of his nature. The Rhone loses all its silt in the deep, clear waters of Geneva’s lake. A few hasty words of prayer will not avail for this. A day’s climb is often necessary before one can reach the heart of the mountains.
Dwell deep in stillness of soul.—Do not live on the outside of life, in the outer courts of the temple of the soul. Get within. God awaits thee there. Center thyself. When the world is full of alarm and harassments, study to be quiet. The soul’s health cannot be maintained apart from the observance of times of waiting on God in solitude. The great importance of perseverance in the exercise of prayer and inward retirement may be sufficiently learned, says one, next to the experience of it, merely from the tempter’s artifices and endeavors to allure us from it, and make us neglect it.