Recently we moved away from our family home where we raised our four children. This was the home where I hoped to welcome grandbabies crawling on the floor and tinkering on the piano keys where the sounds of their parents’ former melodies still linger. I hoped to read Goodnight Moon and others from our library when I snuggled them on my lap in the rocking chair where I nursed my babies.
We are in a different home now, one half the size but much newer. I wonder how our adult children will react when they walk through the front door that is different from the one that backdropped their first day of school photos every year?
New memories will be built in this house. Although I miss our dwelling place of twenty years, it was only a frame of stucco and wood that housed our family. Our family continues to live on, apart from every wall and detail that made our home.
God was not limited by the temple that David’s son Solomon was ordained to build. Before that commission, He lived from tent to tent and dwelling to dwelling (1Chronicles 17:5). God was not contained in the ark or the glorious details of the tabernacle His artisans designed and created.
God’s throne was not established by the priceless cedars that framed his temple but by the wooden timbers that built the cross. For it was the moment that Jesus, a Son of David, took on death and sin for us on the cross that He opened the door for His Spirit to live in us. We became His dwelling place.
We became His temple that frames His power, love, and glory and bears the image of His kingdom to others. When we abide and dwell in Him, His kingdom abides and dwells in us.
Let your name be confirmed and magnified forever in the saying, “The LORD of armies, the God of Israel, is over Israel.” May the house of your servant David be established before you.
—1 Chronicles 17:24
The framework of two timbers in the shape of a cross established the house of God on this earth. Through these timbers, the kingdom of God will reign forever, and through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus, His kingdom dwells within us.
This is God’s promise, His covenant (Romans 1:3).
The establishment of His house means we are His dwelling place. Unlike the presence of God in the ark moving from place to place, from tent to tent, from dwelling to dwelling as He did throughout the Old Testament, the two timbers of the cross were what was needed to establish Jesus alone as our dwelling place.
The word dwell is closely related to the idea of abiding. We abide by taking refuge and shelter in Him because of the timbers of the cross and the nails driven into His hands to house our pain. Our sorrow. Our sin.
I pray and hope that I would feel God’s spirit inside of me more. I pray that I would live my life in the reality that God lives inside of me. ❤️ I pray I would walk in his power, strength, love and wisdom.
Our family has been moving so often in the past 10 years. With three young kids and the need for school, jobs, moving is really uprooting. The verse today that got my attention and spoke to me on a personal level was, “I will ordain a place for my people, and will plant them, they shall dwell in their place, and neither shall be moved no more (1 Chronicles 17:9), and the children of wickedness shall waste them no more”. What a merciful promise this is. Thank you Lord for being the promise keeper, and promise fulfiller.
@Searching: loved the wrestling thoughts you shared, me too, sometimes I wrestle with my limitations but then on hind sight the Lord can catch us up in an instant with time. A quote from Smith Wiggleworth I read that set me completely free is, what man can do in 15 years, with the help of the Holy Spirit he can do it all in one year. Zoom zoom :)
@Rhonda J: praying for your leadership jitters to flow into a second nature. May you lead effortlessly. You can do this Rhonda.
@Kimberly Vohs: thank you so much for your response, I will try to implement your method with my kids.
@Sarah D: amazing favour of the recommendation letter. Wow. May the new position and hiring process be opened by our merciful Waymaker.
@Victoria E: continued healing both mental and physical, peace and joy for your family.
@Dorothy: loved the reminder about not to complain.
May the Lord show His faithfulness and tender mercies through you and your families dear sisters. May your lives be the testimonies of His power and His rich goodness.
Be blessed dear sisters.
Not the physical building but the spiritual one that houses the love.
It’s crazy to me that Nathan, the trusted man of God told David to go ahead and build a temple. He didn’t take a minute to ask God His thoughts but assumed that with the established pattern of God being with David and blessing what he was doing that this would be the same. It’s comforting for me to see the humanity (again) of the people God calls and uses to be His voice. And the God didn’t leave either of them to fail but sent a message right away to correct the course. He’s so kind!
The word I chose for the year is “abide”, I need to seriously work on it. Blessings dear sisters.
Beautiful devotional! “It was the moment that Jesus, a son of David, took on death & sin for us on the cross that He opened the door for His spirit to live in us. We become His dwelling place, we become His Temple that frames His power, love, glory, and bears image of His Kingdom to others. “ How beautiful and blessed we are!!!
What a “jaw-dropping,” AWE-INSPIRING, BUT GOD devotional Vina wrote!! I kept saying amen, Amen, AMEN!!! When I read, “God’s throne was not established by the priceless cedars that framed his temple but by the wooden timbers that built the cross.” I was blown away. I had never thought of it that way but I will from now on. WOW, WOW, WOW!!! Vina, you did such a beautiful job of envisioning God’s new tabernacle — “the wooden timber that built the cross.”
Next to 1 Chronicles 17:6 in my Bible, I wrote God never complains why should I? and Is the church the building or where God and Christ are, Matthew 18:20, confirms this?
Thank You Lord for including me in Your blessing. I consider it a “privilege” as Paul said (Romans 1:5) to be called a child of God and sister of Christ Jesus, Amen!!!!
Sisters be blessed and you will ALWAYS be a child of God and sister of Christ Jesus.
…. to house our pain. Thank YOU Jesus. Thank you, that I can approach you, always. And you’re always available for me even in my ugliness, sorrow and sin, I can approach YOU, And you accept me just as a little child. Happy Thursday sweet SRT sisters from a freezing, Sunny California of 33°. There’s even a freezing warning around here. Brr…. I’m so ready for spring and summer!!