May 21st~A Place to Dwell

1 Kings 3:16-28


1 Kings 5:1-18


2 Chronicles 2:1-18

1 Kings 6:1-13


2 Chronicles 3:1-14

1 Kings 6:14-38

We saw on display the wisdom with which God blessed King Solomon, as he settled difficult disputes with uncommon ease and as he prepared for the construction of the Temple. “I am about to build a Temple,” he wrote King Hiram, “to honor the name of the Lord my God. This will be a magnificent Temple because our God is an awesome God, greater than any other. But who can really build Him a worthy home? Not even the highest heavens can contain Him!” (2 Chronicles 2:4, 5).

The Lord was pleased with Solomon’s plans and efforts. As a result, He made a covenant with Solomon, saying, “Concerning the Temple you are building, if you keep all of My laws and regulations and obey all of My commands, I will fulfill through you the promise that I made your father David. I will be among My people and never forsake them” (1 King 6:12, 13).

Remember, the Temple, like the Tabernacle before it, was only meant to represent God’s presence with His people, for as Solomon said, “Who can really build Him a worthy home? The highest heavens cannot contain Him!” He did not need a Temple, but the people did. They needed a place where they knew He dwelt, a place where they could go to worship Him with sacrifices and offerings, as well as a place where they knew He would answer their prayers.

However, from the beginning, it has always been God’s desire to dwell with His people. Remember, He used to walk with Adam in the Garden and make frequent visits to Abraham. It was His idea for Moses and the Israelites to build a Tabernacle in the desert, so that He could be in their midst. Of course, one day He would walk among His people in bodily form through Jesus Christ, who was called Emmanuel, “God with us” (John 1:1, 14). Today, God dwells within His people by way of the Holy Spirit. We are His earthly temples (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Daily Reflection

Did you know that, if you are a follower of Christ, the Spirit of God dwells in you, the same God who created the heavens and the earth, the same God who performed all of the miracles of the Bible, the same God who walked the earth through Jesus Christ, and the same God who raised Him from the dead lives in you? What an awesome thought that is!

What are some of the implications of this amazing truth, of having God’s presence within you?

Because the Lord lives in you, He is with you at all times. He will never leave you or forsake you. Because the Lord lives in you, you are constantly in His presence. You do not need to go anywhere in particular. Where you are, He is. Because the Lord lives in you, you can worship Him at all times, and He will always hear your prayers; and, because the Lord lives in you, you have His power to overcome the world, the sinful flesh with its temptations, and the Devil.

As God’s temple, you, like Solomon’s structure, are to reflect the glory of the Lord to those around you, to honor the name of the Lord before others. They should see in you the difference that God has made in your life. Others should be able to look at you and listen to you and know our God, for His glorious presence dwells in you!

BiAY.org | Day 141 — 224 Days to Go