Dwell

Psalms 91:1-2 NIV Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.

“There’s no place like home.” No matter how much you enjoy travel, there is always great joy in returning home. Home, our dwelling place, is a place of comfort, peace, and rest.

God as our dwelling place is the unbroken, intimate fellowship God desires to have with each of us. The place where he provides comfort, peace, and rest. All of scripture represents God’s desire to dwell with us. First in the Garden, where God walked with Adam, then the cloud and fire that led the Israelites, the tabernacle built by Moses, and the temple built by Solomon: all to fulfill God’s greatest desire…"that I might dwell among them” (Exodus 29:45-46). In every instance, our sin brought separation until God sent his only Son to pay the price and removed every barrier. Those who accept Jesus as Lord receive the indwelling presence of God—the Holy Spirit. He takes up full residence in us; no more cloud, tent, or temple.

But it has never been God’s desire for this to be a one-sided relationship. God not only desires to dwell with us; He calls and woos us to dwell with him. David knew what it was to dwell with God: “I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings” (Psalms 61:4). “Lord, I love to dwell in your house, and the place where Your glory dwells” (Psalm 26:8). Dwelling together is God’s final goal: “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3). God is not looking for visitation; he is looking for habitation. He is not looking for an occasional guest but permanent residence.

Many of us struggle to continually dwell in God’s presence because of a common fear and deception—we have believed a lie about God. We believe that God does not love us unless we perform well enough to earn His love. We are convinced that God is angry, impatient, and constantly disappointed with us. We then try to hide from God attempting to live our lives performing well enough to earn His love. All resulting in increased guilt and shame. Our image of God directly contrasts with the image we have of ourselves. When we feel ashamed or guilty, we run and hide just as Adam did in the Garden.

What is the most important question we can ask of ourselves? How much time do I spend praying, searching and studying the scriptures, how often do I fast, how often do I serve? All important but God says all of that is wasted, only noisy chatter, if we fail to receive and dwell in God’s love. You cannot receive love from an angry God of whom you are afraid, feeling you must strive to gain His approval. We must understand that our relationship with God the Father is not based on what we do but on what Jesus has already done.

If you derive identity and self-worth from how well you do your job or from some spiritual achievement or ministry success, then your self-image is wired to what you do instead of what Jesus did for you. The most famous children’s song ever is “Jesus loves me, this I know”……but do we? Do we live our life filled with the confidence that God’s thoughts for us are always love or do we live like we are constantly trying to win his approval? “The Lord says, I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3). Let’s dwell with Him today.

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Gary and Sandy Anthony

Psalms 65:4 NIV Blessed are those you choose and bring near to dwell in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.

John 1:32 AMPC John gave this testimony, I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and it dwelt on Him, never to depart.

Psalms 84:1-2, 4 NIV How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.

Exodus 29:45-46 NLT Then I will dwell among the people of Israel and be their God, and they will know that I am the Lord their God. I am the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

Psalm 37:3-5 NASB Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

Psalms 61:1-4 NIV Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

Psalms 4:8 NIV In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Psalms 101:6-7 NIV My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me. No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.

Ephesians 3:16-17 NIV I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Psalms 85:9 NIV Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.

Isaiah 57:15 NIV For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: I dwell in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.

John 12:46 NLT I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer dwell in the dark.

John 15:4 AMP Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. Live in Me, and I will live in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.

1 John 3:24 TPT For all who obey his commands find their lives joined in union, dwelling with him, and he lives and flourishes in them. We know and have proof that he constantly lives and flourishes in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

1 John 4:11-13 NASB Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we dwell in Him and He in us, because He has given to us of His Spirit.

Psalms 37:29 NIV The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.