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My home is irreplaceable. It’s a place where I belong and a place that belongs to me. My home welcomes me with crisp clean walls when I wake up. My home surrounds me with its warm scent as I lounge around. My home accepts me no matter what condition I’m in. This is my home.

Imagine not having a home. Imagine not having a place of rest. Imagine each day without a place to come back to, but constantly desiring one. I can’t begin to imagine this, but God experiences it. God, in a sense, is homeless. Our almighty God who is the ruler of heaven and earth desires something. Our almighty God, the creator of you and me, desires a home.

A Homeless God

The first time I heard this, I couldn’t believe it. However, the Bible shows us that this is true. Our God desires a dwelling place. In Isaiah 66:1, Jehovah says, “Heaven is My throne, and the earth the footstool for My feet. Where then is the house that you will build for Me, and where is the place of My rest?” This verse is so clear. God, whose throne is heaven and whose footstool is earth, still desires a home. After I recovered from the shock of this new revelation, I began to wonder, “Well, why can’t God just make a home for Himself? Why doesn’t He have one yet?” Well, the reason God doesn’t have His dwelling place yet is because His dwelling place is with man and depends on man’s cooperation. In order to fulfill His desire for a dwelling place, God needs man because man is to be the dwelling place of God. This is shown in the following verse, “For all these things My hand has made, and so all these things have come into being, declares Jehovah. But to this kind of man will I look, to him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isaiah 66: 2). Yes, God has the power of creation, but for the building of His house, He is looking to man.

Saved for the Church

The big kicker to God’s desire is that His dwelling place is His church. His dwelling place is not in a physical structure, but in a group of people. This is clearly shown in 1 Timothy 3:15 when Paul says, “But if I delay, I write that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth.” Again, my mind was blown. God needs man because His dwelling place, the church, is a built-up group of people!

Although this understanding of God’s desire was still new to me, I couldn’t help but feel that it made so much sense. It gave me a broader understanding of the importance of my salvation and of my standing with God. I am saved because I needed God, but I am also saved because God needs me! Yes, the church exists because a group of people received the Lord, but more importantly, it exists because God needs a group of people to be His house! Seeing God’s need and desire for a house totally changed my view towards the Lord. Previously, my view was limited and I only saw my need for God. However, learning about God’s desire for a house really opened my eyes to see that God needs me. God needs man, and His need of a house is actually greater than my need for Him. Upon learning that God desires the church as His house, my salvation made more sense and my walk with God became more purposeful.

Living Stones

After the wow factor of God’s house began to sink in, I began to wonder how I could be “this kind of man” that builds God’s house. Thankfully, the Bible is full of answers, and I got my question answered in 1 Peter chapter 2. According to 1 Peter, I am already qualified as the right “kind of man” for God’s building. 1 Peter 2:5 says, “You yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house.” This verse showed me that I am not only qualified as the right kind of man for God’s building, but more significantly, I am material for His building. I am a living stone. If you are a believer, you are a living stone for the building of the church, the dwelling place of God.

As I considered my role as a stone for God’s building, I realized that I need to be proper material for His building. God can’t build His house out of sand or a heap of weak rocks. He needs living stones who have been made alive and connected through Christ, who is the cornerstone (Eph. 2:20-21). This thought caused me to see that I need more Christ. As part of a building connected by Christ, I need to allow Christ to work in me. This realization prompted a simple prayer in me. “Lord make more of Your home in my heart” (Eph 3:16). God needs a group of believers, as the church, to be His dwelling place. In order for the believers to be built up, each one of us needs more Christ in him.

His Dwelling Place, His Rest

God needs a dwelling place. He desires a home in His church. As believers, you and I have the opportunity to be a part of God’s building as the material for His house. We need to allow Christ to grow in us and connect us with other believers. Eventually, one day, God will gain His heart’s desire. He will get His house. He will finally have His church, and He will ultimately gain a place where He can rest.

By: S. Chen

Sarah Chen
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