| house
of the Lord
By Rick Horton - August 2002
"Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all
the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever."
Psalm 23:6 NLT
Something in the heart of this ancient king spoke volumes to me
today and I thought I'd share some of it with you the churches at
Matthew's House. Within David was a passionate desire to exist in
the very presence of his God. In Psalm 23 he paints a vivid picture
of the Great Shepherd who does much more than any shepherd would
ever do. He describes in detail how good and loving the Great Shepherd
is, pointing out along the way the significant aspects (tools and
practices) of the trade. Then the picture changes backgrounds and
scenery. From hillside to a village, from pasture to home and the
contrast begins with a table. Perhaps for David the mountainside
was not the only place where he was truly experiencing God. He moves
from Shepherd, Gracious Host/ Head of Household is the next picture.
This Gracious Host is seen as having prepared a great meal in spite
of the perils (the enemy) that wait. At first I was caught off guard
by this statement. Could it be seen as an entrapment or simply inconsiderate?
The longer I thought and later as I looked deeper, this feast was
a refuge in the middle of life's trails, with those who would bring
harm not actually seated around the table. Like the Good Shepherd,
the Gracious Host was focused on removing burdens nourishing the
whole person. Next, the writer king points to a common practice
extended to valued family, friends and guests. It was not a customary
washing of the feet but an act reserved for good friends and respected
family. Perfumed oil is given and it wasn't used sparingly it is
a bunch of oil. There is so much oil that a cup, being held perhaps
catch the oil as it drips off the head and saved by the recipient,
is now overflowing; maybe another way of saying what is mine is
yours. The writer then bursts in with an announcement of how valued
he is feeling and ends it with this statement, "I want to live here
in this house where You live O' LORD forever." If you let this all
sink in long enough there is something that our homes need to emulate
as well. (I am not trying to prove any point about house churches,
meals or any of our other practices, which is not the point of this
passage in any sense.)
As I thought more and more about what David had written there
then came the whisper, ĢIs this (my house) the house of the Lord?
Is it the place where Jesus resides and not only when other people
show up? The word 'house' used here in this verse was a common word
for house. Simply, it is where a family made their home. For the
writer/king, the house where he wanted to spend his time was in
this house where the Gracious Host resided, His home. I wanted to
answer the question quickly, still I knew there were some things
that I had to look at first. Is our house truly a safe place? Simply
this means that every burden can be shared without fear of judgment
or stereotypical answers. Burdens get carried together. Next, is
our house a place "where everybody knows my name?" Basically, do
people feel like honored and valued guests and family, special as
individuals not simply as a collected group? "Mi casa su casa!"
Finally, does our house send others out with more than enough? Blessing
is not a mere word that Christians use when they don't really want
to get to close. It is a privilege and a responsibility every believer
has for the well being of the Bride/Church.
Truthfully, I hope these things are happening in our home, yet
I'm not sure what to tell others about how to see them happen. Maybe
it starts with the realization that our homes can be the House of
the LORD. Then as that thought begins sinking in perhaps we begin
treating it like it is. Search out some scriptural practices of
what others did to honor God in their House of LORD. I think this
week we are going to do an incense offering. Remember I am "out
there" enough to try almost anything. I simply wanted to get us
all thinking again, we are His and He is using us. Look at where
you are sitting and know that this is where He desires to reside,
making it the House of the Lord. You'll be surprised how quickly
others start saying, "I want to live here forever." |
