Dearly Devoted

“I have heard your prayer and your petition. I have set this Temple apart to be holy—this place you have built where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.
4 “As for you, if you will follow me with integrity and godliness, as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, 5 then I will establish the throne of your dynasty over Israel forever. For I made this promise to your father, David: ‘One of your descendants will always sit on the throne of Israel.’

- 1 Kings 9


The temple of GOD is dear to the heart of GOD. What is GOD's temple? Is it man made structure or buildings that we call church or synagogue where we gather as a people to worship GOD? 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. GOD has set our bodies to be holy for it is a temple where He resides. When we offer to GOD our bodies to be His temple, GOD is more pleased than you are about offering this gift to Him. He will not only set you apart as different from the rest of the world, but He will make you holy and your body a place where He will be honored because He watches over you, you are dear to His heart.

Whatever we ask of GOD, HE is more than willing to answer our prayers offered in faith. We only have to do our part by following HIM with wholeness of heart and devotion. Wholeness of heart means that we obey fully, without grumbling or complaining whatever GOD wants us to do. Our faith is tested when we are in a crossroads of obeying GOD and looking like a fool sometimes or doing nothing, risking nothing. We not only need to obey all His commands and the laws HE has written on His word for us to follow, GOD wants our hearts. Our devotion to GOD is important to HIM because HE wants our hearts. He will never fail to keep His promise to us when we are devoted to GOD. We are dear to GOD, is GOD dear to us??? Let us strive to keep Him first place in our lives.

Cloud of Glory

34 Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. 35 Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.
36 Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. 37 But if the cloud did not rise, they remained where they were until it lifted. 38 The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.

- Exodus 40

The cloud of GOD represents the glory of GOD. What is glory? It is defined as praise and honor, glory is also great beauty and splendor, it is also a ring or spot of light. From here the cloud is a light or a halo to signify that GOD is there, His beauty and splendor is made visible by the human eye through the light or halo that covers the tabernacle. It must have been a beautiful scene to witness the glory of GOD. A tabernacle in the olden days is a place of worship. We could say that our place of worship today is in a church, synagogue or mosque. But the place of worship starts from within our hearts, our temple which is our bodies. The glory of GOD is the Holy Spirit working through and within us. 

It must be so wonderful to experience GOD settling down on the tabernacle. As the LORD fills the Tabernacle with His glory so should His Holy Presence fill our lives. How do we do this? How do we fill our bodies with His Holy Spirit? By seeking GOD daily, reading His word, knowing His thoughts, understanding His plan and will for our lives. This needs an effort of discipline everyday of cultivating a love relationship and connection with GOD. It requires effort on our part to commit our time to devote ourselves to Him. That is why we are encouraged to have daily devotions, time to be quiet before the LORD for this is how GOD fills our temple (bodies) with His Spirit. And as Israel was led by the cloud of glory during the day and pillar of fire during the night, so should the Cloud of Glory - GOD's Spirit lead our hearts during the day, and guide our minds throughout the night.

Move of GOD

2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.3 Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. 4 And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’”

5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. 6 All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.
Ezra 1:2-6

There are things we are comfortable with and we do it on a regular basis. But there are things that we don't normally do on our own and we can only do them when GOD moves in our hearts. The move of GOD is strong when GOD wants something to be done. He moves in the hearts of men to let HIS will be done. It's amazing how an Arab King stated that GOD had appointed him to build the temple of the most High GOD, allowing GOD's people to leave their current residence in Persia to build the Temple that GOD wants be built for Himself. First HE touches the heart of a gentile, then the jews respond in obedience to GOD's Spirit at work in their hearts. They cannot resist GOD's move, they go not only go up and build GOD's temple, they offer goods, valuable gifts in addition to the freewill offerings that they already gave for GOD's temple. They do more than what a regular selfish human being usually does. That is the work of the mighty move of GOD!

GOD can create things out of nothing. HE doesn't need man to create things. He creates man in the womb of a woman! Why does HE need the help of men to accomplish the work HE so desires? It is because HE wants us to be involved with HIS work. Everything GOD does is for HIS glory but it is also for HIS love for humanity. HE wants to have this initmate relationship with man. He wants to be found by man because HE is waiting for man to come to Him. Why does HE want a temple on earth? HE wants HIS Spirit to reside in that temple, a temple where HIS people and all those that call to HIM, can come to and abide in HIS presence. It's a wonderful thing that after JESUS came, GOD now resides not on temples build out of earthly stones but HE now resides in a temple that is the human body. HE can be found NOT only in Zion, the certain place where HE has chosen to be but HE can be found within us. But do you have GOD within you? If not, then you have to invite Him in. Are you suddenly having a hunger for meaning and purpose in life? Do you feel the dark emptiness of life??? That is the MOVE of GOD within you, respond to His move, and His call. Seek Him, HE is waiting for you to invite Him in your life. You will never have that peace or rest unless you respond to His call and move with GOD!