"God's Place"

“God’s Place”

One of the men in our first church used to drive a delivery truck for an area department store which took him along just about every back road on the map (and probably some that weren’t!). One day he told me about going by a house which was an eyesore and appeared ready to collapse (windows broken, paint peeling, grass growing almost waist high) but it was the weather-beaten mail box by the road which especially caught his attention. It said, “God’s Place”. He then commented on how this so often pictures us as God’s people when we fail to outwardly reflect His presence in our lives.

We sometimes have the idea that God’s dwelling place is a church building. While it’s true that this was the case with the tabernacle and later the temple in the Old Testament (“I want the people of Israel to build me a sacred residence where I can live among them.”—Exodus 25:8, NLT) with the ascension of Christ, descent of the Holy Spirit and birth of the church God changed this (“…God…does not live in temples built by hands.”—Acts 17:24). Now His dwelling place is in people—those He has redeemed through faith in the finished work of Christ. Note what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” As someone has put it, our outward appearance must reflect the inner presence of our Owner.

Years ago Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle brought a message at the Gaither Praise Gathering entitled “The House of Prayer”. We played the video several times during our church services and at other functions. In his message Cymbala made the point that since God now lives in us we are His house of prayer. (Karen later wrote a song based on this biblical truth.) So in effect I am “God’s Place”. How am I making Him look before a watching world?

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan