And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psalm 23:6(b)
Today is a Bank Holiday in the UK, so many of us will have the day off work. If you’re lucky enough to have a day off, what will you be doing with your day? Perhaps you’ll be catching up on sleep or doing some work around the house or garden. Maybe you’ll be hitting the shops to take advantage of the Bank Holiday deals. Or perhaps you’re fortunate enough to be escaping to a favourite spot, perhaps even for a long weekend? We all have favourite areas that we like to visit, perhaps a place we went to as children, a spot with sentimental significance for us, or maybe somewhere that is particularly beautiful. Bank Holidays give us an opportunity to visit those special places.
Today, in the final verse of Psalm 23, the Psalmist reflects on being able to spend forever in the house of the Lord. We all one day hope to be able to spend eternity with God; as Christians we realise that our life here and now is only temporary, and look forward to the period after we die or when Jesus returns, when we will be taken to be with our God. No matter how fantastic our favourite place on earth is, no matter how beautiful, awe-inspiring or incredible it is, it simply cannot compare to the magnificence of God’s home.
The only reason we are able to dwell in the house of the Lord is because of the sacrificial act of Christ. In the Old Testament, people were not able to go near the holiest place in the temple, where it was thought God resided, because they were too sinful. If we accept Jesus as our saviour, however, he has paid the price on our behalf, and we are able spend eternity in God’s house.
Wherever you are today, no matter what you’re doing, give thanks to Jesus for what he has done for us, and thank God for inviting us into his home. Enjoy your Bank Holiday, but look forward to what is still to come!