God With Us

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Scripture: Exodus 29:45-46 (ESV)

45 I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

Devotion:

One of the most amazing truths of the Bible is that God wants to dwell with his people. He is not a distant deity who watches us from afar, but a personal God who desires an intimate relationship with us. He created us for his glory and pleasure and invites us to share in his life and love.

In the book of Exodus, we see how God rescued the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt and brought them to Mount Sinai, where he gave them his law and his covenant. He also instructed them to build a tabernacle, a portable sanctuary, where he would manifest his presence among them. The tabernacle was a visible sign of God's grace and faithfulness, foreshadowing God's ultimate dwelling place with his people: Jesus Christ.

In John 1:14, we read that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." The word "dwelt" literally means "tabernacled" or "pitched his tent." Jesus is the true Tabernacle, the one who fulfills and surpasses all the symbols and shadows of the Old Testament. He is Immanuel, God with us, who reveals the Father's glory and grace to us. He is the one who makes it possible for us to enter into God's presence and enjoy his fellowship.

But God's dwelling with his people does not end with Jesus' incarnation. After his death and resurrection, he ascended to heaven and sent his Spirit to indwell his followers. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19, 'Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?' We, as believers, are now the living tabernacles of God, the ones who carry his presence and power in this world. And one day, when Jesus returns, he will make all things new and dwell with us forever. Revelation 21:3 says, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.'

What a glorious hope and privilege we have as God's people! We are not just anyone, but we have been chosen, redeemed, and called by God to be his dwelling place. Let us live in awe and gratitude of his presence, and let us share his love and truth with others, so that they may also know him as the Lord their God.

Prayer:

            Heavenly Father, we are humbled at the thought of you coming to dwell with us. Yet you seek that very thing over and over again throughout scripture. May we welcome you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to live with us. Please help us seek to deepen our relationship with you, so that you can make us worthy of the privilege you choose to dwell with us. Glory be to God; we look forward to your presence with us humans at the end of time. Amen.

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