Day 9 - Present With His People

​"In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit" (Ephesians 2:22, ESV). 

I love thinking about the idea in Scripture that God has always wanted to be present with His people. He has always wanted a place to be, that His people would know he would be. Think about a tent that was made specifically for Him to inhabit. That was His desire, to be present with His people.

Flash forward to the desire for a temple, a tabernacle to be built for the Lord. This was so important because it was going to be a permanent place where the Lord would be present. His people would know that He would be there. 

I think the Lord's longing for a place to be made for Him to be present was for our benefit. He wanted us to know He was within reach. He wanted us to know that He was near and was listening. Having a place to be present with us helps us know those things, and helps us know Him. 

The point was never that He wanted to build a place; the place isn't the point. The main point is that He wanted to be with His people.
When we move into the New Testament, we find that our bodies are called tents in one portion; in another, one of my most favorite portions I always mention, our bodies are called temples. You are a tent; you are a temple. It is an important point to know that we are temples. But that's not the main point; the main point is that God wants to dwell in us! He wants to be present with us! Now, not only is He present WITH us, He is present IN us! 

As we live our lives together with other believers, we are being built together into a dwelling place for God! This is done by the Spirit of God. Not only do you have God dwelling in you, when we get together with other believers, we are built together as a place for God to be present! Enjoy Him. Bless Him. Worship Him. Seek Him and know that He is near, and that He longs to be with you!

-Pastor Tim Escamilla