Finding a Habitation for the Lord

"Surely I will not enter my dwelling house or get into my bed--I will not permit my eyes to sleep or my eyelids to slumber,
Until I have found a place for the Lord, a habitation for the Mighty One of Jacob." Psalm 132:3-5

For the past few weeks I've really felt God's hand strong in my life. I've had the privilege to be hearing Him clearly. Prayer time has been sweeter and worship has become matchless. I could and have easily spent just hours soaking and praying these past few weeks. During listening to one of countless worship sessions the worship leader went into a spontaneous song relating to Psalm 132. David possessed a crazy passion for God and His House. David could not tolerate that as King he could have this huge opulent palace and God's dwelling was just a tent, the same Tabernacle used since the Exodus. David's passion for God's House was so radical as he worshipped he could see his wife's disdain of his public affection to God ( 2 Samuel 6:16). David's desperation for building a permanent structure for God's dwelling was so amazing that instead of throwing his "royal weight" around he chose to pay FULL PRICE for the land. That's passion. In the end God had other plans, and David's son Solomon was going to be the one to build the temple for the LORD.

Where am I going with this? David's passion for God and seeing God being visibly lifted up is the reason why God said He was man after His own Heart. The more time you spend with God the more you're forced to look inward and really examine where you position Him. There are two types of people you can be when it comes to the presence of God. You can be a David, showing radical care and passion for God and where He is placed. You can also be a Uzzah, disobedient and irreverent when it comes to handling the presence. It is a fine line, hot and cold, black and white. There is no fence when it comes to the Presence of God. You're either on fire and passionate for it or your heart is hardened towards it.

I've had time to examine how I've handled the Presence. I've looked and saw that primarily I was a David, but there were things that made me an Uzzah. God put a proposition before me. To be fully David or fully Uzzah. There are things that have to go if you are going to be a David. There are some TV shows, some friends, some attitudes, and some desires that have to get kicked to the curb. Choosing to be hungry and thirsty for God has a price. Being a fan of God is easy, but being a follower requires dedication and perseverance. Handling the Presence properly is costly. God requires more of you. After all He doesn't have that wide of a selection because most decide to take the Uzzah way out.

When I apply Psalm 132:3-5 to current day life it singles out the dedicated from the uncommitted. I am forced to ask myself how long am I willing to pray and seek God to make sure He is in the highest place in my life. It forces me to say God I am so thirsty and I am so hungry to see You get Glorified that I am willing to spend all night and spend days asking You what to do to have all the Glory pointed to You. When I think of the vision and dreams that David must have had about seeing God lifted up it encourages me and sets a standard for me. I don't have to build this huge temple for God now, but I don't believe that this set of Scripture loses meaning and purpose. However, I believe it is a word of challenge and proclamation for every Follower of Christ. To put the flesh aside and to put everything aside to put God in the High Place of my life. There can not be a thing  I'm willing to hold on to if Jesus calls me to get rid of it. I must find the proper place for the Lord in my life. Not just a shelf, but a place where He can be seen for all to admire.

" I will not rest until I found a place for You, My voice will sing, and my feet they will dance."- Steffany Frizzell
Steffany Frizzell- The More I Seek You

The power of a testimony

As I sit here at a concert and the singer sing about her testimony and the friends of hers testimony I really am amazed at how great God is. The singer is singing the testimony of a friend at my table. How great God has been to people in my immediate circle.
Being a Christian isn't easy and it doesn't seem to be the greatest thing in the world at times but its so rewarding. This post isn't deep or have any biblical revelation but purely that I myself remember that Jesus is the Savior and He is in the business of cleaning and redeeming. I look at the faces of the people in this room and I wonder what their story is. The different ways God has shown up in their lives. What way did He call to them? What chamber of Hell did He have to go to just to save one soul? He holds the keys to everyone's heart and He knows their love language. I think probably for a good few hours every day how someone could turn away from God and choose not to follow Him. To hear in song and in words the things Jesus does blows my mind and renews my spirit. WE OVERCOME BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB AND THE POWER OF OUR TESTIMONY!