One Place Where God Dwells (Deu. 12:4-5, 8-11a)

4/24/2009 10:03 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                              Focus:  One place where God dwells

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Deut. 12:4-5, 8-11a

 

            Message of the verses:  “4  "You shall not act like this toward the LORD your God.

    5 ¶  "But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come.  8  "You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes; 9  for you have not as yet come to the resting place and the inheritance which the LORD your God is giving you. 10  "When you cross the Jordan and live in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies around you so that you live in security, 11  then it shall come about that the place in which the LORD your God will choose for His name to dwell, there you shall bring all that I command you:”

            In the book of Genesis I read that God walked with different people including Enoch, Noah, and Abraham, but when God instructed Moses how to build the tabernacle God began to dwell with His people.  The heathen nations worshiped how they wanted to and where they wanted to worship, while God instructed Israel where to worship and how to worship.  The tabernacle and then latter on the temple was where Israel was to worship, but later on God would dwell in the hearts of His children so that they could worship Him from within their hearts.  In John chapter four the woman at the well asked Jesus this very question:  “"Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." 21  Jesus *said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22  "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23  "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24  "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’”

            It is an interesting study to follow the places where the tabernacle was after it went into Israel, and how the glory of the Lord came and left from the tabernacle, and then the temple, and then the Lord Jesus Christ came and the Jews nailed Him to a cross, and then the Holy Spirit was given to all true believers and dwells within the Church today.  The glory of the Lord will once again fill the temple in the 1000 year reign of Jesus Chris on this earth and then:  “And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.”  These are John’s words from Revelation 21:23 which tell that the glory of the Lord will be in the New Jerusalem to light the way.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Paul writes that all believers have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them and that is why a true believer should not connect himself with a prostitute.  Paul also writes that believers are not to grieve the Holy Spirit, and sin will grieve the Holy Spirit so this is reason enough not to sin.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Grieve not the Holy Spirit.
2. Give myself to the Lord today for worship and service.
3. Continue to learn contentment.
4. Keep a short list with the Lord.

 

4/24/2009 10:41 AM