Before sin, God was pictured to be walking and hanging around with Adam in the Garden of Eden. He loves to spend time with His creation. He loves to be in the midst of us, in and around all the things that we are involved in.
Even after mankind sinned against God, He still does not give up pursuing men. Because God is so holy and He is not able to dwell in the same place where sin is abound. Therefore, He told the Israelites to build a tabernacle where He present Himself in the Holy of Holies. The priest who enter the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement to sprinkle the blood of sacrificial animals for the sin of the Israelites. The priest even had a string tied around their ankle so that if they carried sin in themselves, they might die in the Holy of Holies and someone will have to pull him out as at that time, apart from the High priest, no one was able to go into the presence of God and still be alive. Wow!
That is truly astounding and every time I think about the time God present Himself amongst us, we can't but bow before the powerful, living God! The most awesome fact is that we can draw near to Him without afraid being struck down dead. It's all because of Jesus, the lamb of the Atonement who has once and for all washed away the ugly sin that is in us.
Sin is not the wrong things that we do as some understand it to be. Sin cause us to have the tendency to do wrong things. Instead of allowing God to have His way in our lives, we say to Him, no, we know better what to do and therefore turned our back to God and decided to go our way. That is 'sin.'
Now that sin is dealt with, God can once again make His dwelling place amongst His people :) It's our responsibility now to make God at home. To ensure that we are holy just as He is holy. To allow Him to move the furnitures around as He thinks fit.
There may be some things that we have been doing for a long time but when God moves in, He decide for us, as He sees please. Even the neatly arranged clothes in our wardrobe and books nicely sat on our rack are at risk of being moved around and rearranged. He is the Master of the house now and He will have His say.
As we allow Him to move things around, throw things out and bring new things in, we are allowing Him to change our lives inside out. We are allowing our mindsets to be completely renewed, the thrash that we treasured to be cleansed, recycled and turned into real jewels. This is God making His dwelling place in our lives.
As He is more and more comfortable, He will increase His presence with us. We will know His manifest presence in a whole new and tangible way!
When I first became a Christian, I didn't even know that God talks. I was just being religious and thinking that I must now try to be a good person. As I allow Him to dwell in me, I realise that He does not only talk, He listens and then He talks and talks! God is a chatterbox! He loves to listen to His beloved children, enjoy to joke with us and even sometimes being cheeky! He is just the most fun person to hang around with! He gradually becomes my best friend! When I did something to disobey Him, He chastises me. Ever so gently and with so much patience and love. I think because He knows that I respond better with gentleness :) He knows me so well :)
That is when we allow God to make His dwelling place in us and amongst us. Miracles, signs and wonders are just natural phenomena. I guess that is why some people thinks that Christians are schizophrenics! We are in a good way, as we do hear the voice of Holy Spirit, not persecutory voice which is from the devil but gentle and encouraging voice full of love from our most loving Father :)
Lord, my heart is to know Your presence more. Not just to say that You live in me but to actually recognise this fact, to live in this reality and to experience more and more of You. Lord, without You there is no meaning. With You, I have everything! More of You Lord, none of me!
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