Ezekiel
37: 27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will
be my people.
There's
an old hymn that we used to sing frequently at funerals in Scotland. It's
called "Abide with Me." It was written by a Scottish Anglican cleric,
Henry Francis Lyte, who was suffering from tuberculosis which he knew would
soon end his life. The song is all about a person who faces sorrow, trouble,
and even death, yet in the midst of all these things, God's presence is still
there. The songwriter prays that God will be present in his darkest moments and
lead him beyond death into everlasting life. The hymn was first sung at Lyte’s
own funeral and has been a favorite choice for the funerals of many people in
Scotland and other places since then.
In
today’s highlighted Bible verse, the old Hebrew word that Ezekiel uses here for
'dwelling place' also means to abide. The prophet is telling his people, as
well as us, that God is always there for us, wherever we are and whatever we
are doing. It's a reassuring thought and a sacred gift. It's something that
should comfort us. The God who created everything - the moon, the stars, and
planets - is always with us; is always concerned about who we are.
One
of the biblical names for Jesus is "Emmanuel" which can be translated
"God with us." God is so close to us, there is no room in the word to
add "is." This is what it means when God abides with us and makes His
dwelling place amongst us. This is also what it means when God calls us His
people. In God's reassuring way, He is saying there is no room for anyone or
anything else, it’s just Him and all His people. Just you and me and God.
Point
to ponder: How close is God to me right now? How close am I to God?
Prayer: Lord God, thank You for dwelling where we are.
Thank You for being so concerned about our lives that You are willing to make
Your dwelling place with us. In all that we seek to do today, abide with us. In
Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment