“The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” (Exodus 15:1-2 KJV)
An habitation is a place, house or home to live; a dwelling place. The song that was composed by Moses and sang by all the Israelite s after crossing the Red Sea contains a phrase that talks about preparing an habitation for God. The question is, how can I/we prepare an habitation for God? However, before proceeding to suggested ways, let us consider what the New Testament says about the habitation, sanctuary or temple of God.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17: “ Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
1 Corinthians 6:19: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
2 Corinthians 6:16: “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
1 Peter 2:5: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”
From the quoted references, every believer in Christ is the temple, habitation, dwelling place, house, sanctuary of God. Not debatable.
Now, let us go back to the question of how can I/we prepare an habitation for God?
Remember, David once desired to build a house for God. The Bible says, “Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD remaineth under curtains. Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee” (1 Chronicles 17:1-2). However, God intercepted the go ahead with the idea and rejected its construction by David. God told him that he cannot do so because his hands are stained with blood.
“And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house unto the name of the LORD my God: But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight. Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days. He shall build a house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever” (1 Chronicles 22:7-10).
Man of peace not of shedding of blood on the earth is qualified to build an habitation for God. So, for me/us to prepare an habitation for God I/we must not be a murderer in any form – in my prayer, not praying for the death of any man. Remember, the blood that David shed was the blood of the wicked people, yet God rejected his good proposal of building a house for Him. So, manipulation of mind to think that there are enemies who bent to destroy you or hinder you from becoming who God wants you to become in life is anti-spirit of Christ. James and John once had that but Christ rebuked them. “And it came to
Therefore, for me/us to prepare a habitation for Christ, I/we must pray to be filled with the Spirit of Christ. When the infilling takes place, the fruit of the Spirit, e.g. LOVE, will begin to manifest. What will LOVE help me/us to accomplish?
- Love will help me/us not to keep record of evil that people are doing against me
- Love will help me/us to love and pray (wish well) for my/our enemies, not wishing them dead. “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:43-48).
- Love will help me not to retaliate. “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:17-21)
Summarily, for me/us to make a habitation for Him within me/us, I/we must not partake in the death of any human being through abortion, slander, backbite, pray satanic prayer or murder.
NOTE: This is to be continued.
