WHAT KIND OF HOME?

Part 1

 "Behold, I build an house to the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening...who am I then, that I should build him a house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?" (2 Chronicles 2:4,6).

Both David and Solomon had a burning passion to build a sanctuary for God. As mothers and homemakers, this should also be our burning passion--to build a home that is a dwelling place for God, and for our husband and children. In the above Scripture Solomon reveals his three-part vision for building a house for the Lord. Can we make this vision ours, too.

1. Build a House to the Name of the Lord

This is the No. 1 and ultimate vision we should have. It should not be something we hope will happen, but what we purpose to happen. In 1 Kings 5:5 Solomon states, "Behold I purpose to build a house unto the name of the Lord my God." The word "purpose" is amar and means "to say, to speak, declare." It is the same word that is used when it says, "God said, Let there be light: and there was light" (Genesis 1:3). This vision should so fill our hearts that we speak about it all the time. We continually confess that we are building a home to honor the name of the Lord.

We build this home, not for our own name, not for the name of our posterity, but for the Lord. This is a HUGE vision, for God's name is far beyond our wildest imagination. God has so many names to describe Him. One name is not enough to reveal all of His character, and even the revelation of each name is only a tiny glimpse of who He is. Because it would take a whole book to write about the names of God, we will look only at the eight redemption names of God. These names alone will give us a great understanding and vision to build our home to honor the name of the Lord, "who is the only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Timothy 6:15).

Jehovah-Jireh--The Lord Sees and Provides

We read this name in Genesis 22:14, "And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-Jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen."

When Abraham was offering up his beloved son in obedience to God's command, God stopped him mid-track, and instead provided a lamb for the sacrifice. Jehovah-Jireh speaks of the greatest provision that God has ever provided for mankind, the provision of salvation and deliverance from our sin through the death of Jesus upon the cross, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. But, He continues to be our provision. Matthew 6:25-33 and Isaiah 65:24 tell us that God sees our need even before we cry out to Him and has promised to be our Provider.    

Are you building your home to the name of Jehovah-Jireh? How can we build a home to Jehovah-Jireh when we are always grumbling that we don't have this or that? How can we build a home to Him if we cannot even trust Him to give us another baby? God has promised that when we walk in obedience to His will, that He will provide all that we need. God revealed Himself to Abraham as Jehovah-Jireh because of his obedience (Genesis 22:1-19).

Jehovah-Rapha--The Lord my Healer

This name is revealed in Exodus 15:22-26. The children of Israel had come through the Red sea on dry land, but now they had been walking for three days with no water! Praise God, they found water at Marah, but it was bitter so they still couldn't drink. Now they were complaining BIG TIME! God mercifully showed Moses a tree to throw into the water and it immediately became sweet. Then God made a statute and ordinance and said, "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statues, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee" (Exodus 15:25-26).

The full meaning of rapha is to cure, restore, heal, and make whole physically, morally, and spiritually. God is not only faithful to heal us physically (Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:17 and 1 Peter 2:215) but to make our spirit whole and bring sweetness to the bitter experiences we face in life. You will notice in the Scripture that once again God promises His healing when we are obedient to Him.

Are you building your home to Jehovah-Rapha? Do you continually run to the doctor or do you seek the Lord for what He wants you to do? That may require a doctor, but you will first go to the Lord for His direction and ask for His healing. Life is not perfect and often there can be misunderstandings and differences in family relationships. Do you allow Jehovah-Rapha to come into all your family experiences to restore, heal, and bring sweetness again?

Do your children see you relying upon the Lord, or upon man's resources? I am always challenged by Isaiah 2:22, "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?"

Love from Nancy Campbell

www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:

"Oh Father God, please help me to understand the awesomeness of what I am doing each day, that I am building my home to the honor of your name, the name of the God of the universe. Help me to make my home worthy of your holy name. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I don't have time to waste. I have started a great building program and I want to finish the work.