dwell

Opening Prayer: Teach me, O Lord, how to dwell in your house, for I am no good at it.  Calm my restless spirit and quiet my noisy and distracted mind.  Help me to learn the lost art of simply being with you.  Amen.  

Scripture: Psalm 23:6

Journal: What does dwelling in his house really mean to you?  What does it look like?  How often do you do it?  What helps?  What hinders?  Will you dwell with him this day?

Reflection: “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” (Psalm 23:6)  I think God is trying to teach me about dwelling.  I know, I know, two months of “sheltering at home” can have that effect on you, right?  But I haven’t sheltered well at home.  Oh sure, I’ve had my moments.  But I have also had times when I was restless and stir crazy and distracted and frustrated and even bored.  I don’t think that’s the kind of dwelling God had in mind.    

     Somehow this season is giving me an opportunity to practice dwelling, if I will embrace it.  Dwelling (or abiding) seems to be such a large part of life with God.  In fact, the word dwell is used over 1,000 times in the Old Testament.  So learning to dwell with him and in him seems of utmost importance.  Yet, for the most part, I am resistant to it.  And if I am resistant to dwelling in my own house, how in the world can I ever hope to get any better at dwelling in his?  

     I guess the truth is that I’m finding I’m a lot more consumed with doing than I thought I was, and a lot less comfortable with being.  O Lord, help me!  Help me to embrace, rather than resist, this time and this season.  Use it to teach me how to dwell in you.  Use it to teach me to be.

Prayer

Closing Prayer: O Lord, help me!  Help me to embrace, rather than resist, this time and this season.  Use it to teach me how to dwell in you.  Use it to teach me to be.