The Perfect Dwelling for Me!
Psalm 27:4-5 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.
The ONE thing I have asked for that I shall seek… I’ve asked for MANY things (and still do), some of which, in hindsight, seem silly! Some, seem impossible. Some are selfish and some are somewhere over the rainbow.
Most of my “prayer” requests have one thing in common – me! They are important for the moment of asking, and become a distant memory as more requests follow. And that’s ok, especially for a child… we are encouraged to run to Daddy… Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6.
But I was thinking (it happens!) the other night, “What ONE THING do I want that I am willing to PURSUE with all my heart? What ONE THING do I never get enough of? What ONE THING overrides every moment of grief and fills me with hope? What ONE THING makes me want to sing of it, in the midst of anything and everything?”
And then it happened!
I was singing, “It is well, it is WELL, with my soul!”
“It Is Well With My Soul” is a hymn penned by hymnist Horatio Spafford and composed by Philip Bliss. (According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) This hymn was written after traumatic events in Spafford’s life. The first two were the death of his four-year-old son and the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer and had invested significantly in property in the area of Chicago that was extensively damaged by the great fire).[2] His business interests were further hit by the economic downturn of 1873, at which time he had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the SS Ville du Havre. In a late change of plan, he sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business concerning zoning problems following the Great Chicago Fire. While crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sea vessel, the Loch Earn, and all four of Spafford’s daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone …”. Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.[3] Bliss called his tune Ville du Havre, from the name of the stricken vessel.[4]
That’s IT!!
The ONE THING I desire, not just in heaven but here, and now, no matter how, when, where or what, no matter why!
The PERFECT dwelling for my SOUL (all that is me). The ONE PLACE that forever holds the beauty of the Lord. The ONE PLACE that I can meditate in His temple and see beyond the chaos and danger and foolishness of this earth. The ONE PLACE, in the day of trouble, He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me.
The ONE PLACE where it is… WELL WITH MY SOUL!
YES! Lord, please?… I have asked from the Lord…
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)
And now…I shall seek!
We are encouraged to ask, for everything, always. (If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:10-11) Our God is a GOOD GOOD Father!!! In our prayer life we tend to “live” here on earth (at least I do). We “dwell” in the here and now, with little thought, other than making our requests, of WHO those requests are going to and WHERE HE DWELLS. I’m not even sure we are in the vicinity of His door when we yell our requests, much less at His door, knocking. I sometimes think I am hiding from God, in my prayer closet, rather than opening the door for a face to face visit in my future eternal home.
For the longest time, probably since my new-birth, I’ve wanted to/begged to know how to pray, what to pray, who to pray for. Many many wise people have taught me and I have learned fruitful techniques and Spirit-filled words. The first and foremost of all prayer, being, to KNOW WHO you are praying to. The second and equally important tenet of prayer is to be KNOWN by Him (Search me O Lord, and know my heart).
Over 35 years later, I still pray for, seek, and knock on Lord’s door for more of this ONE THING. To dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
Am I not there already? I know, theoretically, I am signed, sealed, delivered, and safe eternal death. The blood of my Savior, Yeshua, over the doorpost of my LIFE, guarantees He purchased me. It is well with my soul!
But this ONE THING I still want… this ONE THING I still seek…
To SING because my soul KNOWS, and not just theoretically, it is truly dwelling!
Job’s kind of knowing (because he’s been there, done that)…
Then Job answered the Lord and said, “I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” (Job 42:1-4)
Horatio Spafford’s kind of knowing (in the midst of the hell our enemy throws at us)…
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
To sing in the midst of whatever!
To sing because I dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, and behold the beauty of the Lord and meditate in His temple
And never fear the day(many days!) of trouble because He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.
Yes, my friends, I think this is the Perfect Dwelling Place for ME!
In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” John 14:2-4
We know the way… He’s ready… Let’s go!
**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted