Living in God's house

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 23:1-6

TO CHEW ON: "… And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever"  Psalm 23:6 NKJV

"…and through the length of days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place."  Psalm 23:6 Amplified

Most of us spend only a tiny percentage of our week in church. David, the writer of this psalm, may have spent more time in the temple than we spend in church, but he surely didn't live there. So what did he mean by "I will dwell in the house of the Lord / Forever"? Isn't that even a little weird?

Let's start answering that by thinking about what happens in God's house—in David's time and still today. There is worship, praise, and thanksgiving in word, music and singing. There is prayer, repentance, fellowship, testimony, and giving.

Of course all of the things above are also things we could do in other places as well. So we might ask, could dwelling in the house of the Lord mean bringing more of what happens in church into other places, like our everyday living? Could we bring more gratitude, worship and praise expressed in singing and speaking, more sensitivity to sin and quickness to repent, more eagerness to share what God is doing with those our lives touch every day, more generosity with our time, our stuff, ourselves, our home...?

The way the Amplified Bible adds "[and His presence] shall be my dwelling place" gives us another clue concerning this type of life. How do we live in God's presence?

• "I have set the Lord always before me" says David in Psalm 16:8, implying a conscious effort to remember God is here.

• We cultivate a humble attitude - Psalm 34:18.

• We concentrate on His goodness to us - Psalm 75:1.

• We call on him (pray) - Psalm 145:18.

• We trust Him - Psalm 73:28.

• We purify our consciences of known sin - Hebrews 10:22.

• We draw near to Him even when He doesn't feel near to us and suddenly we realize He was there all the time - James 4:8.

• And of course we live in Him, He in us, as we allow His life to flow to/through us - John 15:5,7,10.

Maybe it's not so impossible, or weird, to live in God's house all the time after all!

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to live in Your 'house,' conscious of Your presence today. Amen.

MORE: "Better Is One Day In Your House" by Matt Redman

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation - Used with permission.

Ointment for the soul

D is for David - By unknown illustrator of Bible ABC

 TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 23:1-6


TO CHEW ON: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6

I am a fan of lotion and skin cream. I rub St. Ives Vanilla onto arms, legs and trunk summer or winter. I love to catch the fragrance of orange or almond cream on my hands. I treat itchy insect bites with Calomine and guard against infection by putting Polysporin on nicks and cuts. Psalm 23 is like a lotion psalm to me, with its ability to comfort, soothe, and protect against the irritation of anxiety and the poison of fear.

We can view this psalm in at least two ways. We can read it as praise – a boasting about God and all the ways we have found Him to adequate for all our needs. Or we can read it as a declaration of faith – a psalm of promise. It is in this sense that I have found it most effective as a balm.

When I am in need I claim the promise that He will care for me, to the extent of supplying my physical needs: “I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” His presence can refresh my mind and emotions: “He restores my soul.” When I am confused about direction, I have His promise to “lead me in the paths of righteousness.”

When I anticipate tragedy and death “I will fear no evil; for you are with me.” Though at such times I can expect the instruments of his shepherding (his rod and staff) to inflict pain and limitation, I can be sure that they contribute to my security and comfort.


When I am confronted by enemies “You prepare a table before me.” In other words, instead of dreading embarrassment, I can claim God’s honor.

When I feel insignificant, “You anoint my head with oil” showing me favor and hospitality.

When I’m tempted to look with concern on the future, I remind myself “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

If you’re a seasoned Christian who has had the Lord as your shepherd for a long time, no doubt you’ll be reciting this psalm as praise to God. But if your experience with the Shepherd is limited, and you haven’t yet found these things true in your experience, recite the psalm as a prayer of faith. Let it soothe your soul and butter your spirit.


PRAYER: Dear Lord, I love being one of Your sheep. Help me to claim and experience Your shepherding through each incident and season of my life. Amen.


MORE: “Reflections on Psalm 23 – For People With Cancer” is a movie by Ken Curtis.

“Ken Curtis was diagnosed with advanced cancer with little prospect for survival. He pursued a combination of traditional and alternative medicine, undergirded by a strong spiritual dimension and prayer support team.


Psalm 23 was a vital part of his spiritual component, and for this video Curtis went to Israel, home of David and the Psalm, to be with the shepherds, travel "through the valley of the shadow of death," and explore and enjoy the healing powers of the green pastures and still waters. The resulting meditations provide a combination of candid personal experience of what it means to battle cancer and some of the spiritual resources available through this time-honored Psalm…”

This 45-minute movie is available for $.49 one-day rental here.  It will so bless you and give you a new appreciation for this beautiful psalm.


(From the archives)

Ointment for the soul

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 23:1-6

TO CHEW ON: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6

I am a fan of lotion and skin cream. I rub St. Ives Vanilla onto arms, legs and trunk all through the dry-air months of winter. I love to catch the fragrance of orange or almond cream on my hands. I treat itchy insect bites with Calomine and guard against infection by putting Polysporin on nicks and cuts. Psalm 23 is like a lotion psalm to me, with its ability to comfort, soothe, and protect against the irritation of anxiety and the poison of fear.

We can view this psalm in at least two ways. We can read it as praise – a boasting about God and all the ways we have found Him to adequate for all our needs. Or we can read it as a declaration of faith – a psalm of promise. It is in this sense that I have found it most effective as a balm.

When I am in need I claim the promise that He will care for me, to the extent of supplying my physical needs: “I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” His presence can refresh my mind and emotions: “He restores my soul.” When I am confused about direction, I have His promise to “lead me in the paths of righteousness.”

When I anticipate tragedy and death “I will fear no evil; for you are with me.” Though at such times I can expect the instruments of his shepherding (his rod and staff) to inflict pain and limitation, I can be sure that they contribute to my security and comfort.

When I am confronted by enemies “You prepare a table before me.” In other words, instead of dreading embarrassment, I can claim God’s honor.

When I feel insignificant, “You anoint my head with oil” showing me favor and hospitality.

When I’m tempted to look with concern on the future, I remind myself “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

If you’re a seasoned Christian who has had the Lord as your shepherd for a long time, no doubt you’ll be reciting this psalm as praise to God. But if your experience with the Shepherd is limited, and you haven’t yet found these things true in your experience, recite the psalm as a prayer of faith. Let it soothe your soul and butter your spirit.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I love being one of Your sheep. Help me to claim and experience Your shepherding through each incident and season of my life. Amen.

MORE: “Reflections on Psalm 23 – For People With Cancer” is a movie by Ken Curtis.

“Ken Curtis was diagnosed with advanced cancer with little prospect for survival. He pursued a combination of traditional and alternative medicine, undergirded by a strong spiritual dimension and prayer support team.

Psalm 23 was a vital part of his spiritual component, and for this video Curtis went to Israel, home of David and the Psalm, to be with the shepherds, travel "through the valley of the shadow of death," and explore and enjoy the healing powers of the green pastures and still waters. The resulting meditations provide a combination of candid personal experience of what it means to battle cancer and some of the spiritual resources available through this time-honored Psalm…”

This movie is posted full-length (60+ minutes) here (bottom of the page). Whether you have cancer or not - WATCH IT! It will so bless you and give you a new appreciation for this beautiful psalm!!


Keith Green sings “The Lord is My Shepherd”

Do your 8-12-year-olds have daily devotions? Point them to Bible Drive-Thru.

This Year I Want to be a Sheep - 2

(A devotional look at Psalm 23 - continued)

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

One of the reasons I need to live rightly is that God’s reputation is at stake - the reputation He gets when others watch the way I, who claim to be His child, live.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil.

I am not to expect to be spared the hard things, the close calls with death, feeling its cold breath on my neck.

The two statements in this bit will, I think, need some time between them to be proved, at least to feel true. When you’re walking through death valley, it can seem that evil is winning, and it’s easy to be fearful. Even though I know Job-like times are what grow me into maturity, and give my life depth and relevance to others on the same journey, it takes coming through to the other side of an experience like that to be able to say "I will fear no evil." If this is the worst - well, it’s not so bad that God can’t overcome it, transform it even, into something good. This blessing, posted by Ragamuffin Diva says it well.

For you are with me
your rod and staff comfort me.

Rod: used as a weapon against predators.

Staff: used by the shepherd to guide the sheep and set boundaries.

I’ve heard about it and experienced it at least once - the amazing presence of God in trials, making the crucible the best place on earth.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies

A banquet in view of hungry but uninvited enemies - what a great revenge scenario. It reminds me of Mordecai, honored by Haman.

You anoint my head with oil

In biblical times a good host would wash the guest’s feet and anoint his head with oil prior to the meal. Kings were chosen and singled out with an oil-anointing. The sick are to be anointed with oil, symbolizing the healing power of God the Holy Spirit.

My cup overflows.

The small receptacle of my life can’t contain all this good stuff.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

I’m thinking Anna. "She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying." She got to see Jesus, face to face.

But is there a way to do this - dwell in the house of the Lord forever - and not literally be in a sacred building?

There is a way of ordering our mental life on more than one level at once. On one level we may be thinking, discussing, seeing, calculating, meeting all the demands of external affairs. But deep within, behind the scenes, at a profounder level, we may also be in prayer and adoration, song and worship and a gentle reception to divine breathings." Thomas Kelly

Lord, help me live on that profounder level today. Amen.

This Year I Want to be a Sheep - 1

I took a break from my read through the Old Testament over the Christmas holidays, and spent some time in the Psalms. I came yesterday to Psalm 23.

It is one I know so well, I can slip through it with nothing registering at all. Instead of glossing over it, as I was tempted, I decided to examine it phrase by phrase and let my wool-gathering mind range free. For what it’s worth, here is my meditation (in two parts, the next part tomorrow).

The Lord is my shepherd

He is in charge of me. I’m His responsibility, His property, available for His purposes. A shepherd raises sheep for wool, for mutton, for sacrifice. It’s all for the shepherd’s purpose, not the sheep’s.

I shall not be in want

The Shepherd takes care of my needs - even my wants.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

I have so much, am so well provided for that even green pasture no longer tempts me to eat. I take my fill and then lie down and relax, knowing that when I’m hungry again, I only need to jump up and keep eating. Such abundance!

He leads me beside quiet water.

Refreshing, easy-to-get-at water. I don’t have to worry about losing my footing on a steep stream-side, or fear being cast into swift-flowing water as the bank is undercut. No. This place of drinking is calm, still, safe.

He restores my soul.

Soul - that emotional part of me which gets hurt feelings, feels inadequate, gets lost in the masses, is easily wounded by a thoughtless word, or bruised by silence and being ignored. That needy, high maintenance part of me is restored and healed when I sense that I, though one of a flock of millions, have my shepherd’s attention. He knows my needs, leads me to pastures and water, takes the burrs from my wool, binds up my bleeding feet and takes care of each part of my sheepness.

Lord, I request sheep appetites, sharp for your pasturage. I find myself easily led away by the manufactured food of success, the attention of others, ease, pleasure. Like unnatural animal foods which lead to deadly BSE, this unhealthy mixture puffs me up, but plants, then nurtures in me the seeds of death. May my thirsts be slaked by the quiet waters to which You lead. May my soul find restoration in Your presence.