God’s Sanctuary

September 17

(Psalm 114:1-8 NIV) "When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, {2} Judah became God's sanctuary, Israel his dominion. {3} The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back; {4} the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. {5} Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back, {6} you mountains, that you skipped like rams, you hills, like lambs? {7} Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, {8} who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water."

(John 14:23 NIV)  "Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."

(1 John 4:12 NIV) “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

(1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV) "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"

When God’s people came out of bondage in Egypt, God was with them. He led them day and night and did miraculous deeds among them. He parted seas and stopped rivers from flowing. He fed them from the sky and gave them water from the rock. The Lord lived with them. But in these last days, God no longer lives in a nation or a man-made temple. Today, God lives in the hearts of those who have given themselves to His glory and service. God lives in His disciples. We are God’s temple -- God’s sanctuary. He still does miracles among us. He feeds us by His Spirit and leads us beside quiet waters. He brings order and peace to the chaos of our lives. He guides us by day and by night. He opens the eyes of our blinded hearts and heals our wounded spirits through the cross. God wants to live in you. Will you invite Him into your life? -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day