God is Home

God makes His home in your heart. You've probably heard this - or some version of this - somewhere in your Christian walk. It's the kind of thing we teach to our young children, something that seems to be relatable and understandable no matter what your age. 

One of the places where we see this expressed in the Scriptures is in John 14, where Jesus says that if anyone loves Him, they will obey His teaching, and then God will come and together, the Father and the Son will make their home with them (v. 23). 

And it's easy to think, well, God's moving in. 

But when I think about this passage, another passage comes to mind. I start thinking about the one where Jesus sends His disciples out to do ministry in the region. He tells them that whenever they come to a village, if someone welcomes them, then they should stay with that person for as long as they are there, embracing the welcome and making a temporary home. 

If someone doesn't welcome them, they are to shake the dust off their feet and walk away. 

Do you see the parallel? 

God desires to walk with men. It's what He wanted from the very beginning, when He walked with Adam in the cool of the day. Contrary to what deists believe  - that God simply set the world in motion and stepped away - God actually desires to be present with us. It's why He came as Immanuel. 

But He's not going to stay anywhere that's unwelcoming. He's not going to force Himself somewhere. 

So when I read that God wants to make His home with me, I read also that that means I need to make my home welcoming to God. I read that God is sojourning through this world, doing ministry, loving others, working miracles, and that He's looking for a place to stay while He's here. 

That place to stay...is in me. It's in my home. It's in my heart. 

And if I make my heart a welcoming place for Him, He will move in and stay here while He's working in this region, while He's doing things in my community, in my family, in my life, in my heart. He will dwell with me, and it will be a mutually beneficial relationship. 

But if my heart is not welcoming, if I do not make it possible for Him to dwell here, He will shake the dust off His feet and keep moving. 

So, then, God making His home in my heart is not merely an act of faith; it's an act of hospitality. He doesn't force Himself in; I have to make room for Him. I have to make welcome. It's not something that just happens, not even when I profess belief; it's something I have to be intentional about - creating the space, opening the door, inviting Him in to dwell. 

And then...and then, my friends...truly beautiful, wonderful, miraculous things happen. Not just in my home, but all around it. 

Because the Lord has made a home here with me.