How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Psalm 84:1 NLT
I’ve lived in
many, all of various shapes and sizes—but none like the one I’ll enjoy one day.
The first home I
rented after graduating from high school was an asbestos-sided green home,
square-shaped, with four rooms and a bathroom and a hall in the middle. Nothing
fancy, but I took pride in it. The second home I owned. A single-wide trailer
where everything was cramped and too small. Nor was it safe, as I found out
when a large pine tree fell on it—almost cutting it and me in half.
When I entered
the ministry, my homes increased in size. Churches tended to have larger homes
to accommodate the pastor’s family and any guests he might have for revivals
and such. After I temporarily left full-time ministry, the homes decreased in
size again. One was a hundred-year-old home, square in shape like my first
home. After a short stint in another church-owned home, we are now in a diminutive
patio townhouse—too small for the junk we collect.
While my homes
have varied in size and shape, they’ve all been beautiful, as the psalmist classified
the Lord’s. The tabernacle—and later the Temple—symbolized God’s presence with
His people. The tabernacle was plain; the Temple ornate. The loveliness came
because God inhabited them.
Churches once
carried a unique design, easily recognizable by anyone who saw the structure.
Now they exist in storefronts and other vacant buildings. Many look nothing
like a traditional church design. It matters not. God dwells in them through
the presence of His people who worship there, and that makes them beautiful.
Even when no
structure exists—as there often isn’t for my pastor friend in India—God
inhabits as long as people gather. Through the presence of His Spirit in us,
God’s dwelling place exists wherever we do. This makes us beautiful, regardless
of how our bodies are shaped.
When unity reigns
among God’s people, we are beautiful. By our love for one another, others know
we belong to God. And the beauty of holiness and unity equips us to accomplish
the work God assigns us.
Regardless of how
your house looks, it is beautiful and equipped when God indwells it.
Tell us how you make your home beautiful.
Tweetable: How beautiful is your home?
Prayer: Father,
may we use our houses to take Your love to the world.
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A great message. I pray God's love will blossom in each and every home.
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