God has been doing a work in my life and He is leading me to share it. Through the ugliness, there is beauty. When I am feeling crushed beyond what I can stand -He rescues. I want victory but so often I find myself in defeat. He still calls me His delight. My hope is that this will
encourage all who hear to
Let the Redeemed Say so!
What is DWELL?
The Hebrew term for dwell, "Shakan," means "to sit, to remain, to abide, to stay, to rest, to continue."
To continue? To continue walking IN CHRIST. Living in Jesus' rest and fulfillment.
YES, to dwell is my goal. To remain connected with Him and to LIVE life that way
That is the goal of sanctification, to recognize that on our own strength, it is impossible. Seeking Him day after day, hour after hour. To fully rely on Christ in every moment. To implore Christ IN US to live THROUGH US. To continue walking along the path of holiness, even when we feel like giving up. To dwell in His shelter amidst the struggles, the pain, the brokenness.
Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
But until the day we are made complete in Christ, we will not do this perfectly. We will fail. When we do, we will remember, His mercies are new every morning.
Dwell. I think of a home, where we find comfort and rest. REST is my heart's destination. But how do I dwell in His shelter, practically, when there is chronic illness and car accidents, broken marriages, co-dependent relationships, and crippling grief?
That is the goal of sanctification, to recognize that on our own strength, it is impossible. Seeking Him day after day, hour after hour. To fully rely on Christ in every moment. To implore Christ IN US to live THROUGH US. To continue walking along the path of holiness, even when we feel like giving up. To dwell in His shelter amidst the struggles, the pain, the brokenness.
Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
But until the day we are made complete in Christ, we will not do this perfectly. We will fail. When we do, we will remember, His mercies are new every morning.
Dwell. I think of a home, where we find comfort and rest. REST is my heart's destination. But how do I dwell in His shelter, practically, when there is chronic illness and car accidents, broken marriages, co-dependent relationships, and crippling grief?
Over the last four years, God has illumined this word for me over and over in the Scriptures. Let's take a look at three Scriptures to help us apply His instructions.
First, through my study of Moses, I learned that God's plan from the beginning has always been to dwell among his people. He chose to dwell, or tabernacle, with his people at the center of camp.
Exodus 25:8 Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them.
2 Corinthians 6:16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
God's plan has always been for His people to be at home with Him. His commitment to dwell among His people is His grand plan of redemption. This great promise runs through the whole Bible. God always planned to live among His children in perfect fellowship. The Lamb's triumphant sacrifice both secured and accomplished God's purpose for the people He loves --because one day, He will truly physically dwell among us. We will finally be completely satisfied, whole, content, and healed. And without sin. We were made for this!
Through studying Ephesians, we learn that through the new covenant, God's laws are written inside us and our lives are transformed by His eternally indwelling Spirit. And what a difference that makes in daily life! We have access to and continually draw from the inexhaustible supply of Living Water that flows from the throne. When we receive this gift, our deepest needs are satisfied and we find true contentment.
Ephesians 3:16-19 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
18may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. NIV
"Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong." NLT
"Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong." NLT
Oh Lord, Do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine
according to the power of Christ at work within us!
And finally in Revelation, I am reminded that God's dwelling place is where we are meant to be forever, reigning over the Nations at the side of Jesus.
Revelation 21:3-6 (NIV)3 And
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling
place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[a] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” What encouragement! What hope to look forward to!
So dwell is our destination. We get that, but in the meantime...
What if we could connect to God and experience His presence in the midst of a sin-scarred world. What if we could live with the victory and the fullness of life God promises to those who seek after Him? What if we could truly understand what it means to be God's dwelling place? What if we could experience His Power as we allow His dwelling within us to shape and control our actions? I believe we can - through sharing our stories honestly with other believers, through speaking out about our own redemption. Not only were we redeemed when we accepted Christ, God continues to redeem our broken parts. As we come alongside other believers and hear their struggles, something inside of us breathes relief. Our innate drive to compare ourselves to everyone else is silenced as we realize we are not alone in our hard places. We find hope. God made us to live in community with one another. Here, there is encouragement to continue along that path, and we spur one another onward toward the good works he has planned for us long ago. It is here we find rest, and I believe we will dwell in His presence-and we will be changed-like never before.
So I say to my Lord, show me how to dwell. And He answers.
John 15:10-11 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. Remain in me. Remain in my love.
John 15:10-11 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. Remain in me. Remain in my love.
'Dwell' was the word I chose in 2012-to be the focus of my year. To keep me abiding in Him. It is the word God continually places on my heart to shape this endeavor. This year-2016-was different. I've been seeking hard after God and desperate to find Him. So many losses wrecked my heart. I asked Him to use them. Don't let them be in vain, Lord. God kept saying, share my story. In years past, I might have ignored Him, justifying with, "It's too hard. Ask someone else." But this year I had a taste of victory. I learned that life is too short to stay inside where it's comfortable. With so much death close to me, I learned that the only thing that matters is what we do with the truth Jesus offers and how we love others. All else is temporary and fleeting. So I risked it all for Him. I invited you. I shared my testimony and gave glory to God's grace in my life. And it was hard. My family experienced much persecution from the enemy. But we kept doing what God called us to do.
"Dwell" is a ministry of Grace, a monthly home gathering where all women can come together and share the glorious things God has done in our lives. The hope is this will become a safe place for others to share and encourage one another along our journeys. Simply put, it is sisters-- called to be still for a moment- in the midst of busyness, in the midst of the weary. I feel the heaviness of the world. Let's come together and declare the Kingdom of Light has already achieved victory. Let's claim that victory back in our lives- daily. It's time to step on the snake and crush the lie that our stories should be kept in the secret places. It's time to live in freedom, freedom from fear and comparison. Let's not keep it to ourselves where the pain can steal and destroy. Instead-we can share what God has done in our lives to encourage each other to keep walking-to keep standing firm. What will He call you to share about His greatness? My story is not grand, nor is it complete, but it is beautiful. Because redemption always is.We all have a story to tell. We can find our purpose and our joy together as we dwell in His presence. We can spread hope. Let the redeemed say so!
