Scattered Holy Stones

Scattered stones.

Holy stones.

It caught my attention this morning.

I love reading through the entire Word of God this year.  And I love reading it in a new translation.  Both of these are causing things to jump out at me that I haven't noticed in all my years of studying the precious Scriptures.

"How the gold has grown dim,
how the pure gold is changed!
The holy stones lie scattered
at the head of every street." (Lamentations 4:1 ESV; emphasis mine)

The holy stones lie scattered...

Immediately upon reading that phrase, my mind jumped to Paul's words to the Gentile believers in Ephesians 2.

"For He himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility."
"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.  In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."  (Eph. 2:14, 19-22; emphasis mine)

God's dwelling place.

Can you fathom it?  GOD'S DWELLING PLACE!

Did God have to let it be completely destroyed, just like Jesus' body would be, in order to rescue His people from their sin...and to bring in the Gentiles as well?

In Moses' day, God dwelt in the tabernacle which He commanded Moses to build.  The LORD's presence resided right over the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant.  Moses could just walk right in and speak to God, or hear from God.  His face even shone when he left God's presence! 

In David's day, God dwelt in the makeshift tent the king erected to cover the ark of the covenant.  God aparently loved this house so much--because of the wholehearted worship which took place within it--that He says He wants to rebuild it someday. 

In his son Solomon's day, and from that day until the exile about which we just read, God dwelt in the temple in Jerusalem.  He dwelt in the Holy of Holies behind the curtain that separated everyone except the high priest from God's presence upon the mercy seat.  Was God tired of being separated from His people?

After the exile was over, and God's people returned to the promised land, they eventually rebuilt the temple--though not with near the beauty or glory of the original one.  Could it be that God didn't really want another building to dwell within, but instead wanted His people's hearts?

Could it be that God was not only angry with His people for prostituting themselves to all manner of idols and ignoring His words through His prophets, but that our Heavenly Father downright missed the intimacy He experienced with David in that makeshift tent?

Could it be that, as His Word tells us, He knew us from the beginning of time and was ready to draw into His family not only the chosen nation but all nations?

Could it be that God Almighty was tired of being present only in a designated holy place like the tabernacle or the temple, and was instead ready to dwell in the hearts of every being made in His image who loved Him and gave their hearts to Him?

I am not a theologian or a doctrinal expert.  These are just my ponderings from my time with Jesus this morning.

I cherish Jesus' words to the woman at the well.  I come to Him, like her, for life-giving water that never fails:  "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him."  (John 4:23; emphasis mine)

"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit.  And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.  And the earth shook, and the rocks were split."  (Matt. 27:50-51; emphasis mine)

"When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.  And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  And divided tongues as of fire appreared to them and rested on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and begain to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."  (Acts 2:1-4; emphasis mine)

"In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."  (Eph. 1:13-14; emphasis mine)

Could it be that when God seems to be destroying and taking away all we hold dear (as He did when the temple was destroyed), all we've ever known (as when God's people were taken captive into exile), that He has a much better plan prepared?

Would we be willing to trust that plan...to trust our God?  That He will bring beauty from ashes, build a holy dwelling out of scattered stones, to the praise of His glory?  Would we be willing to let Him smash us down, like the potter with the clay, so that He might rebuild us into something more glorious than we could have ever imagined?

I praise our glorious God, for I have seen Him do this in numerous ways this past week (after a very difficult and heart-wrenching week before), from a rescue baby with special needs provided the perfect home, to a college sister provided with an amazing last minute new practicum, to precious friends blessing us by meeting some needs that overwhelmed us, and many more.  In many of these situations, what we thought was best was not God's best.  His plan is always so much better!  Thank you, Father, for always knowing what we need and providing nothing less than your best, even when the waiting is hard or long.  May we always be willing to wait on You.

My memory verse, which I have been committing to memory to help me remember to trust my God when I cannot see the answer or the provision:

"Though the fig tree should not blossom,
     nor fruit be on the vines,
 the produce of the olive fail
     and the fields yield no food,
 the flock be cut off from the fold
     and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
     I will take joy in the God of my
          salvation.
 GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
     He makes my feet like the deer's;
     He makes me tread on my high places."  (Habakkuk 3:17-19; emphasis mine)

For, dear friend, thanksgiving is the password into God's throne room.  (see Psalm 100:4 in The Message)