Growing In Faith
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Posted: April 29, 2023
Author: Kerry Lytle Psalm 27:4, New Living Version “One thing I have desired of the Lord, That I will seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” |
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So many of us are crying out for a visitation from the Lord. We hold revivals, ministry conferences, healing meetings, etc. in expectancy of some great and powerful “touch” of His presence. While those truly can be mighty movements of God, I believe He wants us to shift our mentality on the subject. The Lord’s desire is not a visitation; rather, He seeks a habitation.
I want to live each day where Jesus becomes more and more of a “place of habitation” than just a visitation. The presence and person of Jesus isn’t just a place that we visit during a worship service or a prayer time; it is and He is to be our continual dwelling place and habitation day and night.
“Those who live (dwell) in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.” (Psalms 91:1-2)
The dwelling place of the Most High is not a swinging door that we are to go into and then out of; it is to be our “constant.” Whether we are resting on our beds or living our daily lives we are to dwell in His shelter and become a place of habitation for His presence. The oneness and unity that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit share is a constant and unbroken flow of communion and connection. This is what we have been invited into…the “constant indwelling of God.” He longs for a habitation! And we should long for the same! Psalm 132:4-5 (NLT) says, "I will not let my eyes sleep nor close my eyelids in slumber until I find a place to build a house for the Lord, a sanctuary for the Mighty One of Israel.”
God’s longing can be found in Psalm 66:1 (NLT) when He responds,
“This is what the Lord says: ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place?’”
The amazing reality is that He is our resting place and we are to be His resting place. He who dwells (inhabits) us is to be our habitation and dwelling place. He is not merely to be a visiting place but a constant and permanent place that we live in and carry; no matter where we are or what we are doing.
This is one of the greatest mysteries that any person can spend a lifetime discovering…God with us! There is a constant and continual (unbroken) communion that we have been invited into. There is ascending and descending always happening as we dwell with Him and allow a habitation of His Holy Spirit to be a river of life that flows to us and through us.
The indwelling of God with us is our unspeakable joy! The place of habitation with God is never boring but rather always amazing. It is a holy place of great power and authority and a humble place of comfort and rest.
Let us pursue habitation rather than visitation. Let's be a people of “inhabitants” instead of “visitors” who are always “up and down.” Let us be a resting place for the glory of the Lord.
There is no lack in His presence…no want…no depression. There is fullness of joy. This brings peace that surpasses understanding. This is the beauty found in habitation, dwelling and abiding in His presence.
I encourage you today to set yourself apart from this world, and live in the beautiful presence of Jesus. It’s His desire for us to make His presence the place of our habitation and not just a visitation.
