In what ways can we prepare our hearts as God's dwelling place? A Vision of Indwelling Glory “While the man was standing beside me, I heard One speaking to me out of the temple.” (Ezekiel 43:6) Ezekiel’s awe-filled moment reminds us that God’s greatest delight is to speak from the very place He fills. Under the new covenant, that temple is our own hearts (1 Corinthians 3:16). Preparing that inner sanctuary is both a privilege and a responsibility. Why God Desires a Holy Dwelling • He is holy and cannot coexist with willful sin (Habakkuk 1:13). • His presence brings life, guidance, and power (John 7:38–39). • A cleansed heart displays His glory to the watching world (Matthew 5:16). Clearing the Clutter: Repentance and Cleansing • Regularly invite the Spirit to search and expose anything unclean (Psalm 139:23-24). • Confess and forsake known sin—He is “faithful and just to forgive” (1 John 1:9). • Practice ongoing surrender: “Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit” (2 Corinthians 7:1). Aligning the Furniture: Obedience and Submission • Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23). • Prompt obedience keeps the space orderly; delayed obedience is disobedience. • Ask daily: “Lord, rearrange anything that crowds out Your rule.” Maintaining an Atmosphere of Worship • God is “enthroned upon the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3). Praise builds a throne in the heart. • Sing and speak psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16). • Celebrate His attributes—gratitude deodorizes any lingering stench of self-pity. Guarding the Gates: Discernment • “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). • Filter inputs—media, conversations, thoughts—through Philippians 4:8. • Refuse entry to bitterness, lust, or fear; post Scripture as the gatekeeper. Fueling the Lamp: Scripture Intake • “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). • Meditate day and night (Joshua 1:8) until truth soaks every corner. • Let the Word teach, rebuke, correct, and train (2 Timothy 3:16-17); it keeps the inner sanctuary bright. Cultivating Continual Communion: Prayer and Dependence • “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Moments of quiet conversation keep the room warm. • Breathe short prayers—adoration, petition, thanksgiving—throughout the day. • Dependence dethrones self-reliance and invites divine activity. Living as a Mobile Temple: Witness and Love • Offer your body “as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1). • Let His love overflow to neighbors and enemies alike (John 13:35). • Act as ambassadors, “God making His appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20). Anticipating the Ultimate Dwelling One day we will hear, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man” (Revelation 21:3). Until then, every cleansed, yielded heart previews that coming glory—echoing Ezekiel’s temple, resounding with the voice of the Lord. |
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