Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth Eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite spirit. Isa 57:15.

God has two homes. This scripture passage teaches us that God dwells in the macrocosm of the great universe, and He abides in the microcosm of the heart of man. Our God is so great that the Heaven of heavens cannot contain Him, yet He is so lowly and humble that He will stoop to fill the heart of a child. He bids us learn of Him, for He is “meek and lowly in heart” (Mt 11:29). It seems almost too wonderful to believe that the Eternal God of the universe, and all creation, would care to come and live with the child of Time (Our Daily Walk, by F. B. Meyer). It is inconceivable to that the Infinite and Holy God will descend to the narrow limits of a human heart. Our God comes to dwell in the humble and contrite heart. God is fervent in His love and faithful to His word as Jesus taught His disciples that “if a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him (John 14:23). It is too wonderful to imagine that God, in all His glory, and all His wonder, would dwell in the heart of man. What an unimaginable love! A love that is indivisible and inseparable, and we know that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:39). My friend, receive the love that God has for you today and delight in His presence that your heart might be His dwelling place. Father, thank You that You make humble abode in the hearts of men who receive You by faith in Jesus Christ, that we may know You and dwell with You for all eternity. In the blessed Name of Jesus. Amen.

“And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years…” Deut 8:2

Recently, I gathered at a reunion with a group of guys that I served with some forty years past. Many of the faces had grown worn with time but the shared reflections and stories refreshed the memories, the experiences, and the relationships shared from the past. The scripture passage reminds us that we should pause along the way to reflect, recall, and remember our journeys in life. Look back and recall to mind “all the way which the Lord thy God led thee.” For the children of Israel, they could recall to mind God’s faithfulness to care for them, provide and protect them through their wilderness pilgrimage. They would recall that “where God leads, God feeds.” He fed them with “manna, which thou knewest not” (Deut 8:3) to sustain their strength and teach them to walk by faith to trust the word of God. They would recall that God provided and preserved them that “thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell” (Deut 8:4). The Lord God led their way, faithfully provided their every need, and chastened them in humility that they may know “by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live” and keep His commandments “to walk in His ways, and to fear him” (Deut 8:6). My friend, the joy in the life of the child of God is remembering the faithfulness of God and His love for His children. He is faithful to care for us “according to His riches in glory” (Phil 4:19) and chasten us that we might know His love (Heb 12:6). Look back on your past, recall His forgiveness of sin that you may rise to newness of life. Recall the times of His discipline that were intended to chasten and strengthen your faith to trust Him. Recall the troubles and trials where He delivered you through that you may glorify His Name. Dear friend, there is no lack to those who allow God to lead them in His own paths. Remembering God’s faithfulness in the past, encourages our faith in Him for the present, and hope in Him for the future. Remember your Father in heaven loves you and “know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). Father, thank You for Your love and faithfulness. In the blessed Name of Jesus. Amen.

Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday. Isa 58:9-10

Everyday people awake with ideals of success and to be victorious in their living. They strive to accomplish and gain greater good than yesterday. They seek to remember their days by moments of ecstasy and glory, rather than by moments of sorry, failure, and defeat. Christians can find themselves trapped in the same dilemma of highs and lows. Striving to do good. Seeking a life that is pleasing and acceptable to God, but too often falling into sorry, defeat, guilt, and shame. The Christian life ought to be one of continuous victory, right? The eternal change that occurs within the child of God through faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, that gives us victory over sin and peace with God, then every day ought to be victorious, right? Yes! “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Rom 8:37). Each day, at every moment of the day, the child of God can live victoriously because we know the victory, even in moments with we don’t feel victorious. The scripture passage teaches us that victorious living is outside of ourselves. The things that rob us of victorious living are the yokes we place upon ourselves and others, finger pointing, and empty words. Rather than these things, be move with compassion toward “the hungry, and…the afflicted soul.” When we see the needs of others, allow “the love of Christ to compel us” (2 Cor 5:14) to “draw out of thy soul” that richly dwells within us. Then we experience the victory of Jesus Christ that dwells within our souls. Let the world know your victory by “the love for one another” you show to other in their moment of need. My friend, “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…and whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (1 Tim 6:17). Father, thank You for loving us, forgiving us, and cleansing us by the blood of Jesus Christ. May You be glorified through the victories in my life. In the blessed Name of Jesus. Amen.