God is the Ultimate Host
What have you been invited to participate in?
Verse of the Day
‘How happy is the one you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple. ‘
Today’s Devotional
Do you realize that the faith you have today is a gift? All faith and any relationship we have with God started with Him. I think of it this way…. It’s an invitation. I can get an invitation in the mail to a party or wedding, but it is still my job to show up. I think that’s what this verse is saying, that we have been invited into fellowship with God. It’s our choice whether or not to accept. And even if we accept the invitation, it’s our job to continue to show up so the relationship will grow. God chose you, do you accept His invitation?
Once we accept, we are brought into the “courts”. The commentaries mention that the use of “courts” here makes reference to the Tabernacle. The courts were the part of God’s dwelling place where everyone was welcome. You didn’t need any special qualifications or training, you just had to want to be in God’s house.
So what does this have to do with satisfaction or contentment, other than that the verse mentions one of those words? Read on….
Have you ever been to someone’s house who is an excellent host or hostess? Every detail has been thought of and taken care of. You don’t show up and pitch in with the set-up or cooking, you just show up and enjoy yourself.
This verse is telling me that God is the ultimate Host. He is inviting us into a relationship where He takes care of all the details and planning. He does all the prep work, He does all the clean up. When we come to Him, our only job is to show up and enjoy His presence.
Knowing that, I realize that I tend to over-complicate my time with God. If I am going to the wedding of a close family member, I don’t walk in the door telling everyone about my current struggles. I attend the wedding to be present for someone that I love. It’s not about me. In doing that, I get to forget about my own life for a little while and just enjoy life for a few hours.
What if we looked at our devotional time that way? What if we showed up just to be present with Someone that we love? That’s not to say that God doesn’t want to hear about our struggles. I believe that he does. But I have a hunch that accepting a daily invitation to sit at God’s feet might develop the kind of satisfaction this verse is talking about.
(Side note: I had to practice today what I’ve been writing about. I woke up very discontent this morning. So I brought my struggles and fears to God before I left the house. I also set aside some time to simply praise God for being God. I left my troubles with Him to handle, and I praised Him. And wouldn’t you know….. God answered a very specific prayer in my life today. That’s just plain cool.)
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How can you engage with God today as a Host?
What is He inviting you to participate in?
How can you spend time with God today in a way that shows Him that you love Him and you just want to be in His presence?