thoughts on 'this temple'...*seven*

Have you ever heard someone say that they are in a 'dark place'?
Maybe you have even said that based on how you were feeling?
Because that is essentially what the phrase means...a 'dark place' is that sense in your soul that things are not right on the inside of you.

This dark place we speak of can come to anyone.
It can come into our lives through choices we have made that weren't very smart.
Or it can come through circumstances that seem beyond our control.
Either way it doesn't feel cool at all.
And even God doesn't want it to be the definition of our existence!

When you look at the Jewish Temple you will find some very important features inside.
Each of those features has a very specific and important task otherwise it would not be there.
God's design leaves no room for random and unusable in His temple.

There was a lamp stand. Sounds simple because it kind of was.
While there is debate over the overt meaning behind its design, it's function points to something else.
The lampstand gave light. Crazy concept I know. Surely it must have done something else? Well not really. It gave light so that the temple could function. Without this lampstand and the service it provided, the whole temple was dark and not very inviting.

When you then consider that our bodies are now the temple where God desires to make his home, the parallels for me are interesting.
Would God want the inside of us dark? Of course not. Because God is a God of the light and not darkness.
So what lampstand can we use to make the inside of our temple is light?

Check this out...

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Psalm 119:105 niv

His 'word' is the very thing to light up the darkness that may exist within us.
It also prevents darkness from taken ground on the inside of us.
You don't need heaps to chase away the darkness. Think of a light bulb in a room of your house. One small bulb can make a huge difference!

Can I encourage you this week to light up your temple?
To make time to read some scripture during the week.
Don't leave your temple dark and uninviting for God. Light it up!

Something to think about...