A Cozy Cabin

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! (Psalm 84:1-4 ESV).

 

I hope you are enjoying our journey through the Psalms. Our reading today comes from the “Sons of Korath.” They were an important branch of the singers of the Kohathite division (cf. 2 Chronicles 20:19). Specifically they were the sons of Moses' nephew Korah. Their expression in today’s reading is a clear indication of their eagerness to be in the temple of God. As you read the entire psalm you get the sense that, for some reason, it’s out of reach. Perhaps it’s a little like the picture I’ve included with today’s writing. It is located in the Smoky Mountains. I’ve stayed in some of the cabin rentals near Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. The experience was always wonderful. I always felt a sense of cozy comfort nestled in the mountainside.

 

This is the thought the psalmists are reckoning to us. They long for a time and a place where they could be renewed in faith and reconnected with God. They knew this to be God’s dwelling place among his people. It is a reminder of our need for a home with God. We all need holy places; we all need to be home with God.

 

But God doesn’t dwell in a temple building any longer. Jesus indicates that his own body is God’s temple (cf. John 2:19-22). And, of course, in Jesus, God came to be with us, to dwell among us (cf. Matthew 1:23; John 1:14). After Jesus ascended to heaven, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Jesus’ followers turned us into God’s temple also (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19-20). God dwells in us and among us. We are the temple of God.

 

While it is difficult to be in the Smoky Mountains for us, it is possible. We can make the trip in about two days from Texas. It is expensive, though not completely out of reach. We can save and plan. We can make the trip. However, there is a vast difference between this cozy hideaway and the temple of God. The truth is, there is nothing we can do to get there. The Good News is it has already been done on our behalf. Jesus has made it possible for God’s temple to be located in the hearts and lives of his transformed people. If you’re a believer, you’re already at home in Him. Our permanent home still awaits; but, we are ever moving to that time when we shall be there for eternity! That’s our final trip to our final home!