God is our dwelling place
The word Dwelling Place is used throughout the Bible. It is translated from the Hebrew which means refuge, habitation, shelter (fortress), strong tower. I have it capitalized because it is another name for Jesus. Psalm 18:2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my rock where I seek refuge.
Dwelling places or places we use for shelter or refuge come in different avenues. Some are actual buildings or structures; some can be family and friends, and some can be places. Unlike some dwelling places, which can be destroyed, nothing and no one can weaken or destroy Jesus. It may take a lot to destroy some fortresses, but the reality is that they can be destroyed. Just look at the events of the last few years and even the past few months with Hurricane Helene. She devastated parts of Georgia and North Carolina among others. I would venture to say that some of the places destroyed in the floods and winds were thought to be indestructible. But if you watched any news, you saw destruction that was being called of biblical proportions. It did damage that will never be repaired or will take years to repair. I know there are storm cellars, tornado shelters and bunkers that have been built to withstand the storms that come. I can attest to the fact that cellars are not storm proof! My family lived with one in the backyard when I was very young and lived in the Panhandle of Texas, in Kelton. It was a very long time ago but if I close my eyes, I can remember one time when my mama and my brothers and I had to go down into our storm cellar. I vividly remember watching a tornado outside the small window that was built into the shelter. If you don’t know what a storm cellar is, it is basically a basement without a house somewhere on your property. During this storm, I could feel raindrops coming through the window, not a lot mind you, but I could still feel them. And I have seen storm shelter doors be ripped off their hinges, and no it wasn’t in a movie. They are built to offer us a way out of the storm and yes, they do work, but they don’t work 100% of the time.
Not only do we have dwelling places we can go to, but we also have people in our lives that can offer a refuge (home away from home, or just a place to visit). Man, is that so nice. I have a few places I go. One is with my parents, and one is with my best friend, Jody…these are hard to beat because of the people. Another place I go to is Casa Raun. I have some precious friends that built a place in the wooded area outside of Houston. To say it is a place of relaxation would be an understatement. They are surrounded by trees and the patio is amazing and very welcoming and peaceful. In the mornings, I love to sit on their back porch area, breathing in the clean air, (I know it is hard to find clean air in the big cities, but I can find it here) and having coffee. It is peaceful no matter what time you sit out there. They have graciously offered me to come visit whenever I want, and I have been several times already. When Mark was going through treatments, both of my brothers offered their homes for a place to go for us to just rest, either the day before or the day of treatments. Since those were very hard times to go through, we loved having family to go to. Most times Mark would sleep when we were there so I had quality time with my brothers and sisters in law. It was nice to get loved on during a difficult time.
A vacation spot can be a dwelling place. There are some who have time shares and each year visit it for rest and relaxation. You may have a home away from home that you visit. Some like to just drive. Some may just sit in their backyard and listen to the sounds around them or listen to music or a podcast. My parents own a condo in the mountains of North Carolina. That is an amazing and very peaceful place to visit and rest. You can stay there for days and never leave and feel you have a refuge.
All of these things are amazing and there is nothing wrong with any of them. We need the physical presence of them at times in our life. However, for a Christian the only true dwelling place we need is in the presence of Jesus. No one and no place can offer consistent refuge outside of Him. He is the refuge we need. In His presence the is fullness of joy. Psalm 16:11
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are protected. This was Solomon describing God’s nature as high above man, stronger than any enemy and a refuge for all who call on Him.
The reality is though we are not promised complete protection from trouble, pain, grief, anxiety, but when we face them, we can be assured that the Father who loves us will be there to be our Dwelling Place, Our Fortress, Our Refuge and He is INDESTRUCTIBLE, CONSTANT AND ALWAYS THERE!
So when the world feels heavy, run to Him
When the pains feels unbearable, run to Him
When the suffering does not lift, run to Him
When anxieties press down, run to Him
In any and every situation you can come to God and declare to Him, “My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust”. Psalm 91:2
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. Psalm 57:1 What storms are you facing right now where you need Him to be your dwelling place? What circumstances are in your life where He is the only one that can offer refuge? Where do you feel like life is beyond what you can focus on and you need your Father’s arms to offer you a safe place to run to? Go to Him. He is waiting for you.
Confident in His love
Isaiah 54:10
