DWELL

At the beginning of the year I think it is a great idea to choose a word that you can hold on to each day. Resolutions and goals are great, but choosing a specific word for the year can be a gentle reminder of your intentions and purpose. For some people they choose a word for themselves such as “joy” or “purpose” to reflect upon throughout the year.

Often times it is very hard to choose a word that you want to hold onto, especially when we have no idea what the future will hold. So when it comes time to choose a word, I think it is important to ask God to lay a specific word on your heart. When we try to choose a word for ourselves we often run into a problem of seeking a word that leads to selfish ambitions. However, God is the one who holds our future and He is the one who deserves all of our attention and intentions in all things.

On New Years morning, I woke up at my best friend’s lake house and slipped out onto the back porch for some quiet time and coffee. Nobody else was awake yet and I closed my eyes and prayed for God to give me a word to focus on for the year. As I sat on the patio furniture, the word “dwell” came to me. I knew that this was the word that the Lord had placed on my heart for the year, so I immediately thanked Him for giving it to me.

I have heard the word “dwell” many times in my life and have came across it countless times in scripture, but I still didn’t quite understand the significance that this five letter word had and why God had placed it on my heart that morning.

“Dwell” can be used as the action of abiding, inhabiting, or remaining. The word “dwell“ enhances the importance of being fully present at a certain time, certain place, or with certain people. This word fully describes the relationship God has designed between us and Him.

When you dwell on something, whether good or bad, it completely consumes you. For us to dwell in God means for us to be completely aware of His presence and love. It means for us to acknowledge Him in all things and realize that all good things come from Him.

From Genesis all the way through the book of Revelation, God has desired a relationship with His people where He can dwell among them and we can dwell in Him. In Genesis, God creates man and woman and gives them everything they could possibly need. However, sin crept into the world and destroyed that relationship God had created. Adam and Eve were afraid and hid from God, yet God still called after them and wanted them. While they were running away, God just wanted them to come to Him. He wanted them be fully in awe of His goodness as He had intended when He created them.

Despite their sins and the sins of the people that would follow, God continued to seek a relationship with His people. God makes his intentions known throughout scripture and pursued the Israelites very visibly. In Exodus 25:8 it says, “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them”. Later in Exodus 29:45-46 it says, “Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I may dwell among them. I am the Lord their God”. Throughout the chaos of this book, God wanted His people to abide in Him so that they could have a relationship with Him. He wanted them to set their eyes upon Him and realize His complete magnitude and that He had been with them every step of the way.

God continued to dwell among His people and desired to bridge the gap of sin and He did this by sending His Son to dwell among people. God had been walking with His people for generations, but He went even deeper to send His only Son to physically dwell among people and live a life in the flesh. It says in 1 Timothy 1:16, “The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth”.

Now we have the Holy Spirit that dwells among us daily. Not only is the Holy Spirit with you, but it is in you. For it says in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in your midst?”

Psalms 90:1 puts everything into perspective. It says “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations”.

God has been dwelling with us from the beginning and is in constant pursuit of our hearts. However, as sinful humans we fail to completely dwell in the goodness of God. We fail to abide in His love. We fail to remain in His grace.

But how are we able to dwell in God?

We can do this by finding rest in Him. To not be consumed by the world, but be consumed by His love. To avoid worldly desires to satisfy the flesh, and allow his word to dwell in our hearts. To stop turning turning to social media and words of affirmation for gratification and start reading His word daily. To stop looking at culture for guidance and start reading scripture to find direct guidance. To start your day with prayer and end it in the same way. To thank Him for every blessing that comes your way and go to Him for forgiveness whenever you fail.

To dwell somewhere means to remain in a fixed location. It is not temporary but permanent.

God has dwelt among us for generations in every possible way and He wants us to do the same.

God needs a place where He can dwell.

He doesn’t need an altar or a temple to be able to reside in.

He wants to dwell in our hearts.

He wants a relationship with us. For us to be consumed by His supremacy.

I am thankful that the Lord put this word on my heart and I hope that it will be a steady reminder throughout this year to remain in Christ and let Him remain in me.

So today ask for God to place a word on your heart to hold onto.

Dwell in the safety of His love and the gift of His grace.

Let His word dwell in your heart.

Let Him dwell in your heart so that one day you can dwell in His Kingdom with Him forever.