What would your ideal house be like? Grand or intimate, lush with vegetation or sparsely planted, able to accommodate many guests or host a few close friends or family?  What does your heart say, not just your mind? What is the desire of your heart for living life?  

 

The psalmist asks God to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. This is the one thing the writer seeks; it is a desire of the heart, not the head. When you look around and see things like war, terror attacks, mass killings, devastating natural disasters, pandemics, and premature death, it can be hard to see the beauty of God in the here and now.  Like the psalmist, we may desire to be elsewhere, with God.  We have to be careful in these cases that we don’t see only the natural and physical realm and neglect the spiritual, new covenant world—the world of salvation, joy, peace, and righteousness.

 

"Home is where the heart is." How often do you stop and listen to your heart voice – the one that’s way deeper (and usually a lot quieter!) than your head voice? Over-busy lives often lead to mindless choices, because life on autopilot doesn’t require a lot of deep decision making. But Jesus calls us again and again back to our hearts.

 

Because of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are the sanctuary of God. We’re the temple of God and we can partake in dwelling in the Lord's house now!  Yes, our home is where our heart is, and when our heart is focused on spending time with God, we don't have to wait.  Encountering God in worship, bowing and lifting our hands, being partakers in the glory of God, studying the Word of God, and coming in contact with God’s majesty and beauty—what a life to live! Now...Today...And forever.