A Habitation

In Psalm 132, we find that God is looking for a place to rest.  David recognized this and before building his own house and fulfilling his own desires (doing his own thing), he sought to find a place for God to live.  He disregarded his own needs even for sleep to make a physical temple for God's presence to indwell. He said "I will not...go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes...until I find out a place for the Lord (v 4-5)." God today is looking for a place to dwell and inhabit through the Person of the Holy Spirit, but not in a physical temple--in us!  1Cor 6:19-20 says: Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body."

To build a temple or tabernacle, there was a preparation phase.  David had to find a place.  He said "We found it in the fields of the wood (v6)."  David commissioned builders, gathered materials and sketched a design to build.  Although the work was executed by his son Solomon, David was instrumental in starting this process.  In the same way, we must prepare ourselves physically to be a holy habitation for God.  Romans 12:1 says "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him."  We need to dedicate our bodies to the work of Christ and to be a place for God to dwell by living pure lives and turning away from evil.

It was in the tabernacle, that David went to worship and to pour out his praise and passion to God.  This is a practice phase.  Brother Lawrence a monk had teachings he entitled "Practicing the Presence of God."  He espoused the idea that it took work engaging God and it should be done moment by moment in every part of ones life so that actions flowed from the motivation of love for God.  God wants us to make it a habit of making Him a habitation.  David cried out "Arise O Lord, into thy rest; thou and the ark of thy strength." When we come into God's presence, He is actually wooing us to spend time, with him, and we are responding by inviting his presence to come in.  In Psalm 27:8, the psalmist has this conversation with God:  "My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds, "LORD, I am coming."  In Revelation, the invitation goes like this "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends" 3:20.  God longs to spend time with us, and he has an open 24/7 invitation, however, it is up to us to open our hearts door and sit with Jesus and talk as friends.  God's desire for this communion is very intense, he says "The Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.  This is my resting place for ever; here will I dwell; for I have desired it" (13-14).

Finally is the possession phase.  When we allow God to indwell us through the Holy Spirit, it is really that He has chosen us and marked us as that place to be His forever.  When God comes in our hearts as a permanent resident, he brings provision, salvation, joy, and growth, victory and glory as written in vs 15-18:
 15“I will abundantly bless her provision;
         I will satisfy her needy with bread.
16“Her priests also I will clothe with salvation,
         And her godly ones will sing aloud for joy. 17“There I will cause the horn of David to spring forth;
         I have prepared a lamp for Mine anointed. 18“His enemies I will clothe with shame,
         But upon himself his crown shall shine.”

This is the vision of the victorious Christian who is filled with the Holy Spirit.  Everywhere they go there is blessing.  There are songs of joy and a glow on their face.  People that oppose them have to back away because they are shining with the light of the Greater One upon them.

The New Jerusalem is the ultimate home for God.  It is described as a bride in Rev 21:2-3: 2And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them."  Just as the old testament temple was a picture of a dwelling place for God that the believers fulfilled in the new testament as being houses for the Holy Spirit, there is an even greater picture to be revealed when the heavenly city comes from the new heaven to the new earth where God will have his literal throne among us forever with no end.  What a glorious day that will be.  So as we look in anticipation to be part of that bride, that new city for God, let us get to know the bridegroom in a relationship so we can be part of that holy city.