“Your Heart – His Home“ Pt 1

“All who love Me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and We will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love Me will not obey Me.” (John 14:23-24, NLT) Do you ever stop to think about your “House Guests?” – folks that you invite into your home, and those that come without an invitation as well. How do they find your home – is it a peaceful place of beauty and order, or is it a place of stress and disorder? Over the next few devotions, under the Holy Spirit’s leading, let’s look at (examine closely) the home where Christ is to reside (live) in those who claim to have received Him as Savior and Lord of their lives – that dwelling place / home is our hearts! His Word affirms this place of residence (His address) in our lives, “And God has given us His Spirit as proof that we live in Him and He in us… All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God ... God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect.” (excerpted from 1 John 4:13-17, NLT) The Apostle Paul also writes that “Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him.” (Ephesians 3:17, NLT) Like with any home, our spiritual heart has various areas, “different rooms,” which serve to make Christ’s home more pleasant and inviting for Him to live and to both work within and through our lives. So let’s take a journey the next few days through God’s home (“our hearts”) and see if any ‘house cleaning’ might be necessary. The place where most people enter their home is through the front door. This is the place where Jesus Christ enters – not through a side door nor a back door but through the main (front) door of our hearts. The beautiful thing about Jesus Christ is that He leaves the decision to have Him as an eternal house guest in our hearts/lives (through salvation) solely up to us (“a free-will, loving decision,” Acts 2:21, Romans 10:13 ). He arrives at the front door to each of our hearts at a time of His divine choosing and He loving knocks and announces, “Here I am! I stand at the (front) door (to your heart / life) and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in…” (Revelation 3:20) Christ doesn’t arrive like Mr. T from the “A-team” (for some of you younger readers, you may need to Google that classic TV series) – knocking the door down and forcing His way into our lives. He arrives and awaits you to freely receive Him as a welcome guest. Once invited in, Christ will walk with you through every single room in your home (heart) and show you His design (His divine purpose) for each room … He is an awesome INTERIOR DECORATOR of the heart! The first room He asks you to lead Him to is your “Study Room.” This is to be the room set off from the main living area where you spend daily quiet time with Him reflecting upon His Word, learning His truths and growing in your understanding of His Will for your life. The Biblical blueprint for this room’s purpose reads: “Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, Amplified Bible) The next room you lead Him to is the “Dining Room.” This is to be the room set aside for feeding / nourishment which is so vitally needed. Like physical meals, we need a daily diet consisting of God’s manna (Deuteronomy 8:3) The Biblical blueprint for this room’s purpose reads: “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this (heavenly) nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.” (1 Peter 2:2-3, NLT) The dining room is a place not only from where you are daily fed, but it is also a place from which you can help feed others from the abundance which He always bestows upon our life plate (John 1:16). Okay, let’s stop the tour for today right here. Today, ask the Lord to help you spend some time examining the front door, the Study Room and the Dining Room of your spiritual heart. Be responsively obedient to any changes He leads you to make to any / all of these three areas we have addressed today. And then be eager to continue this special tour through the rest of His home – your heart – tomorrow! … Selah!
Today's Spirit-led video is by CCM artists Hillsong and can be viewed by clicking on the on the song title, "My heart, Your home" - G3 for His gift of ministry thru Christian music!