Lord, remember David
And all his afflictions;
How he swore to the Lord,
And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
“Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house,
Or go up to the comfort of my bed;
I will not give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,
Until I find a place for the Lord,
A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
— Psalm 132:1-5
We may tell the Lord, “I will separate certain time-slots for You: the Lord’s Table meeting, the prayer meeting, and one night to have a home meeting or to preach the gospel. In return, Lord, You must preserve my job. If possible, give me a raise. Also, I am about to buy a car, so please give me the best price.” Because we give a certain amount of time to the Lord we expect a blessing in return. This shows that we don’t have a view according to the Lord’s desire.
When a person grows to maturity he no longer has his “own time.” He doesn’t have his “own wealth.” He doesn’t even have his “own house” or his “own property.” His house and God’s house are the same. His possessions are God’s possessions. Everything that he has belongs to God. In fact, it is more accurate to say that everything he has is God’s house. Everything he has is God’s testimony. And although he does not expect something in return, God’s possessions are now his possessions. Because of his maturity, whatever belongs to God belongs also to him. This is the consecration of a mature person. When we are consecrated in such a way, then our house is truly the Lord’s tabernacle. This means that we are fully for the church life.
Adapted from The Journey of Life, page 100.
Tomorrow: “My House and God’s House are the Same” (4)