God is my eternal dwelling place

Yesterday was filled with delights, talking about the Lord with my sister as we drove and discovering God in several unexpected places. And why not? God is ever-present, always dwelling with us. However, today’s Scripture speaks of Him also being our dwelling place.

Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (Psalm 90:1–2)

Here, the words “dwelling place” refer to a refuge, a hiding place, a retreat for the people of God. He is our strong tower, the One to whom we can run when danger threatens or when we are exhausted and need His grace and help. Many times I don’t know what I would do or how I could survive without this eternal place of refuge.

Also, He has always been here, before I was born, even before the creation of the world. God is eternal, an eternal, everlasting place for me to live. As I try to grasp that reality, my heart is filled with wonder. How can God be this? Even more amazing --- why does He care to surround His people with His eternal love and protection?

Surely we do not earn or deserve it. There is nothing in me that merits the goodness and grace of God. I’m convinced that He is my eternal dwelling place because that is who He IS; having nothing to do with me, except that I am on the receiving end.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound – that saved a wretch like me – You are my Hiding place. You always fill my heart with songs of deliverance. Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You, I will trust in You. Let the weak say I am strong in the strength of the Lord; I will trust in You whenever I am afraid…because You are my dwelling place!

Serving Christ who lives in me

My sister and I are driving two hours today to set up a booth at a craft fair. As we were looking at our Bibles this morning, she said that when Christians do anything to serve the Lord, there is no reason for us to be praised or take credit, for it is not us who do the service, but Christ who lives in us.

Then I opened my devotional reading for today and this is the verse that it highlights.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

I almost feel God hugging me and saying, “Isn’t this a good word for you today!” It is so good that He has already given it to me two times. Do I sense a test coming?

The devotional writer says this is the wonder of life in Jesus Christ. Because He lives in me I don’t have to wonder what to do whenever there are opportunities to serve Him or when difficult situations happen. He is here with me. He wants me to listen to Him, not my own selfish ideas. That is part of what it means to be crucified with Him. When I listen, I know what to do; no hesitation involved.

I’ve noticed that this instinctive knowledge increases the more I read His Word and think about what I have read. The Bible not only nourishes my soul; it gives Jesus the vocabulary He uses to speak to me. 

Putting aside my old life is also important. It has no value for it is dead to God. Being free from my own demands also increases my ability to quickly grasp what He is saying to me. There ought to be no need to ponder what Jesus would do. Because He lives in me, and because He is teaching me the reality of my own death to self, I should hesitate less and less. 

Of course, now that I’ve said that, this weekend of doing something new and unusual will be a venue to test out how well I listen!

The God who speaks

My mother had the following written in the back of her Bible: 

God said it.

I believe it.

That settles it.

Three times this week I have heard someone say, “We don’t believe the Bible for what it says but for who said it.” Today’s devotional picks three words from the following verse: “He has said…”

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

When I read a verse, I usually analyze what the words say and take for granted that God said it. However, if I had a deeper awareness of who is saying this, maybe I would have less doubt and fear and more faith and courage. After all, it is not a book that promises to never leave or forsake me, but Almighty God. As Spurgeon, the great preacher wrote, “Whether for delight in our quietude, or for strength in our conflict, ‘He hath said!’ must be our daily resort.” 

God speaks and His words are my source of wisdom and comfort. I’m to let what God says “dwell in me richly” as “a well of water, springing up unto everlasting life.” What God says is my weapon against the lies of Satan, the lure of the world, and the lovelessness of sin, not because His words are some sort of magic incantation, but because they are His words. What He says is exceedingly powerful. Here are a few examples.

Creative: God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis 1:3) God spoke the world and the universe into existence. “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible” (Hebrews 11:3).

Powerful: Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:29) 

Effective: So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) 

Exposes human need: For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) 

Is alive, living: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) 

Our source of faith: So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17) 

Only source of eternal life: Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. (John 5:24) 

Cleanses sinners: Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. (John 15:3) 

Yes, there are parts of the Bible that I cannot understand, nor can I understand how it works like it does. But I can accept and trust what it says because it is God-breathed — and God is worthy to be trusted. Along with my mother and countless others, my faith is in the God who speaks. 

Choices and Service

When the alarm rings in the morning, I can choose to hit snooze or choose to get up. When I get up, I can choose to eat oatmeal or choose leftover pizza. As the day progresses, hundreds of choices appear before me. Involved in all of them is also a choice of what or whom I will serve. I claim to serve God, but how often do I move through a day without thinking whether I am or not?

After Moses led the people of God through the wilderness and into the land, He promised them, Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel, summoning the elders, heads, judges and officers of Israel. As they presented themselves before God, Joshua gave them challenges from the Lord. The bottom line was this:

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

While this challenge was directed toward their religious observances, it also included daily life. In other words, serving God is not only about formal ministry and worship, but also about the way His people live. Each morning when they arose, they had choices similar to mine. They had families to care for, household chores to do. Externals like the weather, and necessities like “we have to eat” might dictate some of those choices, but even when I make a meal, I can choose to do it “as unto the Lord” and with joy, or with a negative attitude.

As I read this verse, it reminds me that everyone serves someone or something. Even those who think they are their own boss are serving themselves, or their ambitions and plans, and could even be slaves to these lesser gods. How many times have I heard, “It’s my life and I’ll do what I want to” from someone bound up in sin and self-serving? We have our traditional gods and even adopt the gods of the people around us.

As for this day, the hours, minutes, even seconds ahead of me will be filling with options. As the devotional writer says, choice and service are the sum total of life. Instead of operating on autopilot and doing whatever seems the easiest or the most beneficial to me, I need to check out what I choose and that my selection is all about the amazing God that I claim to serve. 

Christ is my life

How can I discern whether or not someone is a Christian? Do they have shiny faces? Do they love others more than the average person? Do they talk about God all the time? Do they behave differently than most? 

I suppose all of these could be true, but the Bible gives only one test of being “in the faith” or being a true follower of Jesus Christ.

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Notice first that the test is not for other people. We might think we can figure them out, but who can be certain about the heart of anyone else? Instead, we are to examine ourselves. And the test is simple: does Jesus Christ live in me? If not, then I fail the test.

Salvation is not about what I do or do not do. It is not about whether I attend church or not, or if I give to the poor or not. Even though these could be the evidence of Christ being in my life, others who do not have Him could do these things too. The test is about Jesus.

The Bible talks about this as a mystery once hidden, but now revealed to the people of God. Again, we understand that our salvation is not about our performance, but…

this mystery once hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:26–27)

With Jesus, I have new life. He is my life. Sin ruins and separates me from God, but Jesus and the life of Jesus changes everything. He makes me alive, forever.

But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (Romans 8:10)

Having the life of Christ in me is a matter of faith. That is, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life” (John 6:47). But that life is in and of Christ, nothing else.

And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:11–13)

Because of Jesus, I pass the test. I have eternal life. It is not based on who I am or what I do, but on Him, the one who died for my sin and now lives for my redemption. Eternal life is all about Jesus who lives forever and who makes Himself available to all who are willing to receive Him.

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12–13)