September 30 ~ Psalm 84:1-7
1-2 What a beautiful home, God-of-the-Angel-Armies! I've always longed to live in a place like this,
Always dreamed of a room in your house,
where I could sing for joy to God-alive!
3-4 Birds find nooks and crannies in your house,
sparrows and swallows make nests there.
They lay their eggs and raise their young,
singing their songs in the place where we worship.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies! King! God!
How blessed they are to live and sing there!
5-7 And how blessed all those in whom you live,
whose lives become roads you travel;
They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks,
discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!
God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and
at the last turn—Zion! God in full view!
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
When I was a little girl, I wanted to become an architect – or a ballerina! Since I never took dance lessons, I figured that was probably not going to happen (although I surely did love those filmy, frilly dresses and the satin lace-up toe shoes!). I would spend hours “designing” my dream house… sketching floor plans with massive bathrooms that rivaled any spa in my imagination. Sunken living rooms, split-level plans that were the “in” thing of that era, beautiful entryways… all became part of my portfolio.
My husband and I have been privileged to build two houses “from the ground up.” We have labored over the details of each one... should the kitchen go here or there? Are we focusing on the view? Do we need to turn the house a couple of degrees to maximize the best features of the lot? Do we cut this tree or build around it? Hours and hours and days and weeks and months of decisions and work later, we moved into our homes. And as we settled in and enjoyed watching the birds build in the trees in springtime and the welcome of a roaring fire in the fireplace on a cold winter’s night, we felt a sense of peace – and of tremendous blessing. How blessed we were to live there... how comfortable and welcome our homes felt!
Stick with me here, because I’m going to take you in a slightly different direction. While the Psalmist was probably talking about God’s “house” in terms of a physical building – most likely a temple - I want you to think about the earthly “House of the Lord” – not our Heavenly home – but the EARTHLY home in terms of our heart. Imagine how much work GOD put into preparing a place in YOU that He could dwell Spiritually. To my way of thinking, the “dwelling place of the Lord” on this earth could very well be our own hearts. God has prepared us to house His Holy Spirit... now it is up to us to welcome Him. It is up to us to make sure that the “window treatments” and the “exterior trim” is right. We must live in such a way that our “structure” holds up for the most Honored Guest of all. And in return, the Holy Spirit lives within us, and He gives us inner strength, peace, joy, and confidence. He blesses us and fills our loneliness with the music of songbirds and brimming pools that form waterfalls of joy.
There is no house I could ever live in that would be more important or more rewarding than the “dwelling place of the Lord” – the condition of my heart. I love my physical home… I am filled with joy and peace when I am there… but I could be just as happy in a pup tent, as long as the Lord Almighty is living within me. My true “home” – the house that matters – is the one where HE resides… and I want it to be spectacular – the best design ever. So I am doing all I can to keep it in top shape and maintained as well as possible. It’s a win-win situation for me. I do my best to serve and please God, and He blesses me abundantly in return!
How is your “house” holding up? Is it worthy of the most important Guest of all? Does it need a little TLC? God deserves a First Class abode... does yours need a little boost in the ratings? At the end of each episode of ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Ty Pennington says, “Welcome home, XXX family… welcome home!” Is your “house” in the right shape for you to say that to God? Shouldn’t it be?
©2008 Debbie Robus
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September 29 ~ Psalm 77: 11-20
11-12 Once again I'll go over what God has done,
lay out on the table the ancient wonders;
I'll ponder all the things you've accomplished,
and give a long, loving look at your acts.
13-15 O God! Your way is holy!
No god is great like God!
You're the God who makes things happen;
you showed everyone what you can do—
You pulled your people out of the worst kind of trouble,
rescued the children of Jacob and Joseph.
16-19 Ocean saw you in action, God,
saw you and trembled with fear;
Deep Ocean was scared to death.
Clouds belched buckets of rain,
Sky exploded with thunder,
your arrows flashing this way and that.
From Whirlwind came your thundering voice,
Lightning exposed the world,
Earth reeled and rocked.
You strode right through Ocean,
walked straight through roaring Ocean,
but nobody saw you come or go.
20 Hidden in the hands of Moses and Aaron,
You led your people like a flock of sheep.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Do you know someone who seems to have a knack for “making things happen?” If you have a project or a problem – this person knows how to get moving and take action. When he/she is on the job, you know things will get done – and done right! You might refer to this person as “the man” or your “go-to girl.”
For every problem this person can solve – for every project he/she makes come together, God can do a thousand times more… and He does each and every day! He is so much more than “the man.” He is the ultimate “go-to Guy.” He can climb any mountain of trouble… walk straight across an ocean of heartache… and calm ANY storm of life.
So often, just like in this Psalm, we don’t “see” God in action. He is there… but we are so caught up in our own issues – and ourselves – that we don’t see WHO is really running the show and “making things happen.” Let’s face it… even that person you turn to in time of need is guided by God, whether even they realize it or not. The ultimate “deal maker” – the One we should run to… is God. HE can make things happen. No one is more powerful or amazing. We spend a lot of time running from God and trying to do this on our own… and making a huge mess of things. Isn’t it time we turned around?
©2008 Debbie Robus
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