Applying 7 themes of Sukkot to my daily life! Day 5: God dwells with us! The central theme of Sukkot, and one that brings me much joy and comfort, is that God desires to dwell with us! All through time, He has clearly and powerfully demonstrated that His heart’s desire is to dwell intimately with us. It started in the garden where He would walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day (Gen. 3:8).
One of my favorite bible verses is Ex. 25:8 – “let them make a sanctuary for me so that I may dwell among them.” After God delivered the Israelites from bondage and His covenant with them was sealed at Mt. Sinai, He then made a way to dwell among them, even though He was Holy, Holy, Holy and they were imperfect and sinful. It so powerfully demonstrates God’s desire to dwell with us, even in our sinful states.
Ex. 29:46 – I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them; and Ex. 40:34 – the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle!
Years later from approx. 1,000 BCE to 586 BCE, He dwelled in Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 8:11). In the ultimate expression of God’s desire to dwell with us, He actually became flesh and dwelt among us in Messiah Yeshua (John 1:14) and in Yeshua all the fullness of the Deity lived in bodily form (Col.2:9).
Now as a believer, God’s Spirit dwells in you – your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God (1 Cor. 6:19; 1 Cor. 3:16).
And, His manifest presence will dwell with us once again in Jerusalem when Yeshua returns – On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem,…And the LORD will be king over all the earth: in that day will there be one LORD, and his name one. (Zech 14:4,9).
Time and time again – in the past, present, and looking to future prophecies – God clearly and powerfully demonstrates that His heart’s desire is to dwell with you intimately. When this truth penetrates deep within your heart, it gives you such a sense of being loved, desired, wanted, accepted, valued, safe, secure, provided for, protected, and full of joy. However, the enemy – through your strongholds – wants to rob you from experiencing all of these blessings, and get you to believe just the opposite.
This week, ask God to penetrate into your heart the truth of “His desire to dwell with you intimately” in a new and life-changing way. And, be sure to check in with tomorrow’s Day 6 blog to learn how to stop your strongholds from robbing you of all of the blessings God has for you this Sukkot!
Chag Sameach!
