"Dwell With Us"

"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." Matthew 1:23

"Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." It has always been God's desire to be with His people. From the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, God would come down in the cool of the day to be with them. When Israel wandered in the wilderness, the Ark of the Covenant- representing the presence and dwelling place of God- was to be placed in the center of the camp. When the nation went out to battle against the enemy, they were assured that the Lord would be with them. And throughout the entire Bible we see God's desire to be with us.

But there were two places where God desired to be with us that was not possible. First He didn't just desire to dwell among us, He desired to dwell within us. He desired to make our lives His tabernacle/dwelling place. The second was to dwell with Him throughout all eternity in His house. But as we said, neither one of these were possible. Our sins had separated us from God.

Because God does not change, and neither does His desire, He sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to dwell among us and at the appointed time give His life upon the cross so that it would be possible. Through Jesus' death we were reconciled back to the Father, placed back in right relationship with Him, now our bodies can become the dwelling place of His Spirit and we can live in the place that He has gone to prepare for us in His house.

He has provided a way for us so that we can dwell with Him, but we have to provide a place so that He can dwell with us. Although this is His desire and although He has provided the way so that we can now dwell with Him, He will not allow us to dwell with Him throughout eternity if we don't allow Him to dwell with us while we are here on earth. Have you provided that place for Him? Have you opened the door of your life so that He could come in and dwell with you?

Have a great day. This great and glorious God desired so much to dwell with us and have us dwell with Him that He did not spare His only Son to make that possible.

For further reading:
Exodus 25:8
Psalm 68:18
John 14:2
2 Cor. 5:19
Rev. 7:15; 21:3