Dwell
January 1, 2019
January 1, 2019
Read: Psalm 27:1-6
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD. (v. 4)
As we begin a new year, holiday memories still linger. Among my relatives, some went home for the holidays and others came to our home. Home is a powerful image. From the Garden of Eden to the New Jerusalem, Scripture is woven with threads of home. God’s people remember past homes with fondness, lament the absence of home in captivity, and long for the eternal home promised by the prophets and purchased by Jesus.
Perhaps the most powerful word for home is found in Psalm 27:4, “That I may dwellin the house of the LORD . . .” To dwell is to linger in God’s presence, gaze on God’s beauty, and enjoy God’s company. This finds fulfillment in Psalm 23, “I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (v. 6). It is the reason God had the tabernacle built: “that I may dwell in their midst” (Exod. 25:8). Ultimately, it is where creation is heading: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them” (Rev. 21:3). God created you so you could dwell with him!
The good news in Bethlehem’s manger is that we no longer go someplace to dwell with God. In Jesus, our hearts become the “temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19), where “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Eph. 3:17). I invite you to make it a pattern this year to dwell in the presence of the One who has taken up residence in you. —Jon Opgenorth
As you pray, thank God for making your heart his home.
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