sanctuary.

What do you imagine when you think of a sanctuary?

A couple words that come to mind are: safety, worship, rest, surrender, security, release, grace, atonement, holiness. . . I see a place where God is welcomed, honored & worshipped with no reservations.

In the Old Testament God’s presence dwelt in the temple but after Jesus came, died, & rose again God sent His Holy Spirit to live within us so His presence is no longer confined to a building with walls but now WE ARE the sanctuary where He dwells!

1st Corinthians 9:19 says: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” and 2 Corinthians 6:16 says: “And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them & walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’”

Jesus died so He could inhabit the hearts and lives of His children and so we could once again enjoy relationship with our Him. Just like God walked among the garden of Eden with Adam & Eve God says “I will dwell IN them & walk among them.” Thru His Son, God made a way for us to do what we were created for: relationship with Him. Now the sanctuary of our hearts is filled with God’s Holy Spirit where idols, bondage, & sin once chained our hearts causing ruin & destruction. That’s the wonderful reality of the gospel ♥

Jesus sent His Holy Spirit so our hearts could once again be a sanctuary.

“I will give you a NEW HEART & put a NEW SPIRIT in you;
I will remove from you your heart of stone
& give you a heart of flesh.”
— Ezekiel 36:26

With these verses in mind I think of Ezekiel 47 where Ezekiel has a vision of a river — a river whose waters bring life & healing to everything it touches:

“When it [the river] reaches the sea, its waters are healed.
And it shall be that every living thing that moves,
wherever the rivers go, will live.
There will be a very great multitude of fish,
because these waters go there; for they will be healed,
& everything will live wherever the river goes.
Along the bank of the river, on this side and that,
will grow all kinds of trees used for food; 
their leaves will not wither, & their fruit will not fail.
They will bear fruit every month,
because their water flows from the sanctuary.
Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
-Ezekiel 47 : 8 – 12

Pretty remarkable right?!? What do you envision as you read that!?!? I picture a dry, barren, & fruitless land with a river penetrating thru the parched ground. As this river penetrates the land healing comes: plants begin to grow, fish once again inhabit the water & trees begin to bear fruit. Life is brought back to a land that was once useless & unprofitable.

All because of one river.

But did you see where this river flows from?? Verse 12 tells us:

“their water flows from the sanctuary.”

Much in the same way Jesus tells us in John 4:14 that when He comes to inhabit the sanctuary of our hearts we will become a fountain of living water:

“whoever drinks of the water
that I shall give him will never thirst.
But the water that I shall give him
will become in him a fountain of water
springing up into everlasting life.”
— John 4 : 14

The moment Jesus comes to invade the sanctuary of our hearts His very presence brings healing. His Word is like a healing balm and His touch brings comfort & restoration. He is the fountain of living water. This is a fountain that cannot be produced from human effort or striving, this living water can only come through Him.

“To worship God in wonder & awe
opens a fountain of life within you,
empowering you to escape death’s domain.”
— Proverbs 14 : 27

God sent His only Son so our relationship with Him could be restored.
So rivers of living water could spring from our once barren, thirsty souls.
So sin no longer has dominion over us.
So death is no longer our end.
So bondage is no longer our identity.
So healing could replace destruction.
So we are no longer slaves but free.
So we are redeemed from the curse of sin.
So our hearts could once again be a sanctuary —

Like a river that changes everything it touches, may the healing He’s brought into our hearts impact those around us.
Like an overflowing fountain that cannot be contained, may our lives be spilling over with the grace, truth, & love we have in Jesus.
May we be those who live ever-aware of His in-dwelling presence.
May our hearts be a sanctuary where He is honored & adored. ♥

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice & untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free & break every yoke?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
& your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
& the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday…
The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”
– Isaiah 58:8, 10 & 11