The upright shall dwell in your presence
Psalms 140:13 (ESV)
Old Testament Jews yearned to be in the presence of God. The best place in the world for them was Solomon’s Temple, where God dwelt in the holy of holies. Even though they could not enter the holy of holies, they were happy just to be in the courts adjacent to the Temple itself. To be in the courts was to be in the presence of God, and nothing was better than being near the presence of God. In his presence were joy and blessing.
Under the New Covenant believers have something much better than the Temple! We have something even better than the holy of holies, which only the High Priest ever experienced. We have the presence of God inside us because we are the temple of his Spirit. Thus, we get to dwell in his presence at all times, even when we do not feel it. He is with us and gives us the desire for godliness and for God himself. As we abide in Christ and walk in the Spirit we have joy and blessing for our hearts. And we have this privilege because God has made us upright through the Cross of Christ.
Consider how valuable it is that his Spirit dwells in us. Is there honor or material possession that is more valuable? We have more than all the unbelievers in the world combined. When our hearts crucify worldliness, abide in Christ and follow his commands, then we have more awareness of his presence. This is one of our foundational practices, keeping ourselves centered on his indwelling presence. In that place we find the anchor and the wellspring for living the Christlike life.
