Temporary Residents

“O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple. As your name deserves, O God, you will be praised to the ends of the earth. Your strong right hand is filled with victory. Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice. Let all the towns of Judah be glad because of your justice. Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem. Walk around and count the many towers. Take note of the fortified walls, and tour all the citadels, that you may describe them to future generations. For that is what God is like. He is our God forever and ever, and he will guide us until we die.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭48:9-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Psalmist glorifies the Lord in the Temple. This edifice was a place of worship to the One True God! The Jewish people recognized Jerusalem and the Temple as their greatest earthly possession. This place was holy, sacred! The God who had brought them out of bondage from Egypt, and who had given them this land, was the One it stood for. Rightfully, this place was to be a hallowed spot. God should have been worshiped in this place! Indeed, God had given them this freedom and such privilege. The people should have responded in worship to God for His marvelous provision and protection. The city and the Temple stood as a testament to God's mighty power! As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we, too, should rise in praise and adoration to God for His marvelous provision and protection. He has delivered us from the bondage of sin and has set our feet on holy ground.  “He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭40:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬ He has given us a new life and has adopted us into the family.  “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:15‬ ‭NLT‬‬ We are now heirs and joint heirs in Jesus Christ our Lord!!  “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:17‬ ‭NLT‬‬ His Temple is now within us. 
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:19‬ ‭NLT‬‬ We should display His greatness to the world. Our lives should be a testament to His holiness!  “for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:20‬ ‭NLT‬‬ We should let our lives be a preview of the coming attraction. He is most worthy of the time of our lives.  “And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.”” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭NLT Have you ever heard someone say "I'm having the time of my life"? Let me turn the table on that one. "He's having the time of my life"! Everything we have, everything we are, and everything we long to be, is vested in the Lord Jesus Christ! Let's let our lives shout to the world His matchless and marvelous grace!!!