Scripture

Psalm 84:1 (NLT)

How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

Consider

When the psalmist wrote this song, he was far away from the temple in Jerusalem. Although he wrote with longing for the courts of the Lord, it was not the temple building that drew him but rather the Lord who dwelt there. How lovely, the poet sang, to be in the presence of God, who loves his people so much that he makes his home in their midst.

Because of Jesus, God’s temple has moved from a building in Jerusalem into the hearts and lives of the people who call themselves the church. Each of us who follows Jesus has become the dwelling place of God’s holy and eternal Spirit. Taking our cue from the psalmist, we might ask ourselves, how lovely is God’s dwelling place in me?

We might condemn ourselves for all that is unlovely in our lives. Yet we must remember that God chooses to make his home in us despite our weaknesses and sin. God calls us with merciful love, and then at our yielding, he sends his Spirit to cleanse, refine, and transform us into a holy people—righteous because of Jesus, hopeful because we are promised eternal life with God, and lovely because God lives in us. The more space in our lives we yield to God’s power and will, the more we will shine with God’s loveliness.

God infuses us with his grace and goodness and then sets us as beacons to shine his loveliness into our relationships. With gracious words and loving acts, we become the lovely dwelling of God in the midst of our families and neighborhoods, schools and businesses. Through our transparency and faith, people who suffer from the ugliness of a selfish and hurtful world may recognize their need for the peace and beauty only God can offer and open their hearts to his redeeming hope.

Pray

FATHER, I am thankful for your loving Spirit that chooses to dwell in me. Show me the unlovely thoughts and attitudes in my life that keep people from seeing your true beauty. Teach me to yield more of my life to you, that my words may refresh and heal and my actions bring people closer to you.

Reflect

John 1:14;  1 Corinthians 3:16

Ponder

Who in your life needs to see God’s loveliness in you?