DWELL

I love when God brings things together to give a single message, to give a perspective and direction. Today it was to DWELL.

When I actually look at the word, it doesn’t look like it should in my eyes. It looks like someone just put a D in front of well, a kind of made up word. However, in the dictionary this is what comes up:

dwell
verb. dwelt dwelled, dwell•ing. v.i.

It could be that it is a word that I don’t come across often so it looks strange and out-of-place. But when you say it out loud, it makes total sense.

I found this word in three places today.

The first was in Word For Today, its title was actually Dwell and it spoke about how Jesus calls us the branches and he is the vine. That we are to abide in him and him in us. The devotional made a beautiful point that are not to dip in and out of God’s presence but to remain in it, continuously “…in order to remain fruitful and to move forward in our spiritual lives. It’s the depth and duration of our dwelling that determines the strength and richness of our spiritual lives.” We grow in faith and strength when we dwell in the presence of the Lord.

Second, was in Collossians and the word was repeated three times. Twice to describe the fullness of Christ, “for in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” To make the point that Jesus is sovereign over all and in all. The third, is in an instruction from Paul, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, reaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness to God.”

Thirdly, in Psalm 133:1. “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”

In a world where everything presents itself as good, competes for our undivided attention, confuses or even tries destroys us, to dwell is an invitation to draw close to Jesus. To let all things fall away and remain.

Through the prayer of someone else, God confrimed what he has told me previously, “Be still and know I am God.” An instruction and fullfilling aspect of what happens when I choose to dwell, despite my circumstances and my emotions that go up and down like a see-saw, it is to set my attention to who Jesus is.  To be enveloped, surrounded and immerssed in his presence.

I have to confess, that last week was not a good one for me. I felt so distant from God, even when I did the things that I knew I should do; and  the feeling of distance was painful and when God showed me where I was going wrong, I cried. But God has comforted me and reassured me through his word and through his people that he is in fact very much with me. I am assured of his presence in my life and it is something that I am going to dwell on. (See what I did there?)

I think an important part of this is my focus. What is it that I am actually paying attention too and where my priorities lie. Even still, to abide in Jesus is not to force things or even trying to change things over night, it is to take a deep breath and let God do his work in me. To sit on that bench in the picture and think about his great goodness, faithfullness and victory. To remind my self that I am in fact a child of God regardless of what the enemy tries to whisper or when the lies that I have accpeted in the past resurface and even when I sin.

One final thought,  while I was worshipping in church yesterday I found myself saying to God, you are enough for me. I felt whole as I whispered these words and a peace settled on me that I haven’t felt in a while. I had forgotten how much God loves me and that it is in fact him that holds me together, even when I feel like I am falling apart. I would encourage you as well to say those words to our Father, while sitting on a bench, taking a few minutes out and being still in the Presence of the Lord.