Our Bodies, God's Temple
For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever; my eyes and my heart will be there for all time. (II Chronicles 7: 16)
II Chron. 7:1-3 and 12-16; Rom. 12:1-2; I Cor. 3:16-17
What Is God Saying?
Here we are looking in on one of the greatest moments in Israel's long history, the completion and the consecration of Solomon's great Temple. The building of a Temple always had first place in David's heart. It was his single greatest ambition. He had the plans drawn and much of the needed material prepared. He was all set to break ground and get underway. Then, with deep disappointment, he learned that he would not be allowed to build it. But Solomon saw his father's dream come true. It took seven years to build it with a workforce of 30,000 Israelites, plus 150,000 Canaanites, and it was all done without the sound of a hammer or any tool (I Kgs. 6:7). At the time of the dedication, Solomon prayed that it would indeed be the ‘resting place for the Lord God, that here his priests would be clothed with salvation, and that here his saints would rejoice in the goodness of God’ (II Chr. 6:41 ).
God responded to that prayer by sending down fire from Heaven to consume the burnt offerings and His glory filled the Temple. When all the people had gone to their homes, God had a further word for Solomon. God appeared to him with this message, The Temple is the place that God has ‘chosen and consecrated; his eyes and his heart (his seeing and his caring) would be there for all time (II Chr. 7:16).
How Does This Apply To Us?
Perhaps it will be in the nighttime, but it could be any time, when, through prayer, we discover what this verse means to us. When God appears to us personally and privately and communicates His will for our lives in ways too deep for human words, it suddenly dawns on us that we are the Temple of God and that His Spirit is dwelling in us right now. We are God's Temple, His chosen and consecrated dwelling place. Paul writes, ‘God's Temple is holy and that Temple you are’ (I Cor. 3:17). Like the Temple of Solomon then, we are chosen and consecrated now; God's eyes and His heart were to be in that Temple for all time. Are we not chosen and consecrated, the ones through whom God's eyes now see and through whom God's heart now cares?
Pray With Me
Eternal God, let the consecration of my life be as real as the consecration of the Temple which Solomon built to Your glory. Let my heart, even as that Temple, be the place where Your name shall be forever.
• With that name on my lips in love, I shall speak the kind and true word.
• With that name undergirding my will, I shall do the pure and honest deed.
• With that name to open and close each prayer, I shall see the path to follow.
• With that name as my assurance I shall claim the promises in faith.
Let my heart, even as the Temple of Solomon, be the place where Your name shall be forever. Let me never try to hide from You. Let me not suppose that anything can be concealed from Your all-seeing wisdom. You know the careless thoughts that are artfully concealed from the sight of men. But You also see the little nameless acts of love that go unnoticed and unappreciated. You see, but more than just seeing, You care. So, let my heart, even as that temple of old, be the place where Your heart shall be forever.
All-seeing God, all-caring Father, how wonderful is this union and how perfect is this blending. My heart is the residence of Your holy presence and the channel of Your loving compassion. Your heart, Your mysterious, wonderful, unfathomable mercy, dwells with me and within me forever. Your name, Your eyes, and Your heart are always to be the blessing of the consecrated temple. Let my life be touched by Your holiness, illumined by Your wisdom, and filled with Your love.
Through Jesus Christ in whom, perfectly blended, there is purity, truth, and compassi0n. Amen.
Moving On In The Life of Prayer
We never come to prayer without remembering the wonderful status that God has given to us; our bodies, our minds, and our souls are indwelt by the Spirit of God. This lifts us up when we are down. This brings us back to the way and the joy of righteousness when we have strayed from the truth. This helps us to see others in need and to care about others in need because His eyes and His heart are in us right now. Prayer is discovering what He sees in others and how much He cares for others. Prayer is cultivating His Presence, listening for His words, and obeying His will.
