"UNTIL I FIND A PLACE FOR ...." Thoughts from Today's Bible Readings - March 16th

“UNTIL I FIND A PLACE FOR …”           

     “Remember O LORD in David’s favour, all the hardships he endured, how he swore to the LORD and vowed … “ [Psalm 132 v.1-2]  The prayer and petition in that Psalm, one of the four we read today has a very significant lesson for us.  What particular thing did David vow to do that he should be favourably remembered for?  

     Was it some great thing? He did many great things starting with the killing of Goliath, not counting the killing of the wild animals that sought to attack the sheep he was caring for.   But his vow is not something that human nature sees as great – but today’s Psalm is a plea about it!  It is a particular vow that he asks, should be counted in his favour!  Is it a vow we should consider making?

     He vowed “I will not enter my house or get into my bed, I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob” [v.3-5]

     David cannot mean he is going to build a literal temple for the Almighty. Nor can he mean the Tabernacle, for the LORD had had a dwelling place there for centuries.   The answer is to be found in Isaiah Ch. 57, as well as other places.  There we read “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit” [v.15]

     So the dwelling place that David vowed to find for the LORD was in his own heart. To do that he had to mentally prostrate himself before the Lord!  How to do that?  We suggest a factor in this is getting yourself to imagine ….the unimaginable!  But we have to try to comprehend God’s immeasurable greatness and how he desires to dwell in the hearts of the humble.

     Remember how 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 v.23]  Our heart becomes a Temple if we really carry out the first commandment to the full!  At the end of each day, we need to take stock, and repair any damage or make good any loss the events of the day has brought to the Father’s spiritual temple in our heart.