The Lord had brought to my attention a word a few weeks ago. I knew He wanted me to ponder it. Yet truly I never sat intentionally to see what He had in mind..until I glanced across my bathroom to see a familiar passage sitting on my counter-Psalm 91:1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most Highwill rest in the shadow of the Almighty . As I was praying to know His heart and sitting quietly before Him I heard again….”Dwell.” I grabbed my Ipad and began looking up the definition. Fairly quickly a poetic message followed:

Dwell: To live or stay as a permanent resident; reside.

Thy Dwelling

Shall I dwell in that which hath no strength

Where wickedness drains thy power from thee?

Where sin lays in wait to enter ones heart

In through the eyes and ears for its start?

 But dwell in thy light of beauty pristine

Where rivers of life Flow freely in streams

Where growth is immersed in breathing thy Word

And committing thy life To that which you’ve heard.

 For weight is thy dwelling of darkness that shrouds

Where blankets of warmth are false and are proud.

But lasting is not thy home built on sand

Slowly but surely it slips from ones hand.

 Look! See thy hope! Security awaits!

A dwelling that stands with beautiful lakes!

For it is the dwelling abiding in grace

Where feathers from Father will cover thy face.

 Where all that is lovely will heal and restore

Where rain will come pouring from sin that He bore.

So make Him thy dwelling for He longs to be

Intimate and loving a home where you’ll see

 His goodness and favor that rests in thy care

When you make your dwelling His dwelling as well..

–Shelly Wilson

 

I began to think of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit upon salvation and began talking with the Lord about that which would come to mind. Why do we not sense the indwelling power that was afforded us after the resurrection? Why so little evidence of that which the disciples saw first hand? Is He not the same God? Of course He is. So turns to the matter of sanctification of the believer’s heart. For many times our dwelling place (His Holy Temple) is constantly taking in that which a Holy God can not look upon..thus quenching the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Much conviction is shrugged off until it is no longer pressing…it has become a dull drum. From what our eyes see to what our ears hear….what does our dwelling place look like? What sounds echo?

We musn’t confuse this plight to the lost. For He is clear they know not what they do. We love people to Jesus where they are but we as God’s people must model the living WORD before them. Godly submission in any realm whether work, home, church, etc.  is only Godly when it upholds that which Christ requires so that it will bring conviction of heart from the power of the Holy Spirit. Godly submission is not folding to ungodly behaviors for the sake of peace. Yet rooting firm in God’s ways to win the lost to Christ. Truly there is a cost to following Jesus…yes? Has it cost you and I anything? The persecution from saying sorry I can’t watch that or I don’t listen to that it dishonors God, or standing alone because you honor God by not participating in that which grieves the Holy Spirit? For the charge is at the feet of God’s people friends. He DWELLS in us… His protection promise friends is also there..if we dwell with Him. Many times we step outside of His protection and wonder why things happen. Sin has consequences..this seems to be something we have forgotten in our world today. Sin never touches only the life of the sinner but also many others as well leaving a wide path of destruction in it’s wake.

So…how is our dwelling place for the Living God? Is it time to clean the house? Tossing that which dulls His power, quiets His voice, restrains Him from blessings He longs to give us and our families? Does He want to bring revival to a lost world but His temples…His people in which He dwells have not given Him full authority in His home? Ahhh let us dwell with Him..that He may dwell with us..for He longs to makes our lives fruitful.