Benefits of dwelling in God’s House Now

David was a remarkable man of God. His perception of God and devotion to Him has not ceased to amaze me. Especially when we realize that this man lived under the Old Covenant before the Lord Jesus established the better Covenant upon better promises. We see his passion for God in motion physically and emotionally when he brought the Ark of God back home from the Philistines and prepared to build God a house. At the same time, we see his love for God in his psalms, where he repeatedly worships God passionately, switching between prophetic declarations and thanksgiving prayers seamlessly.

I Shall Dwell in the House of the Lord Forever

David’s passion was to seek God and to dwell in His house all the days of his life. (Psa 23)

His longing for God’s house was not just in terms of the physical house but also of being in God’s presence. He desires to experience the power and splendor of God’s presence and express his gratitude to God in praise and worship for all His blessings.

In this article, we will discuss what it means to dwell in God’s house and several benefits we’ll reap if we abide there in His presence.

David’s Zeal to Build a Dwelling Place for God

In 2nd Samuel chapter 7, we read about king David’s desire to build a physical dwelling place for God. So the king called Nathan the prophet and said: “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.” He made his desire to build a house for the Lord known to Nathan, who also agreed with the king. However, that was not the plan of God for him. God plans that the “Son of David” would be the one to build His house and not David.

This article stems from his principal desire that he placed before the Lord in Psalm 27:4. “That I may dwell in the house of the Lord.” My prayer and desire are that something good will happen to you as read. That your heart and mine will share this profound prayer and passion with David, and we seek after the Living God as fervently as the deer pants for the brooks of water.

Living in the God’s House

To dwell in the house of the Lord is a metaphor for living a life of continual worship and devotion. It is characterized by seeking and consciously abiding in God’s presence through prayer and worship. To dwell in the house of the Lord is to have an intimate relationship with God, put Him first in all things, and obey Him. It is to intentionally seek God’s will and purpose and live it out faithfully. 

An Abiding Presence

In addition, to dwell in the Lord’s house means having an abiding presence in God’s Presence. It is living with the consciousness that we are in God’s house and under His watchful care. Likewise, dwelling in the house of the Lord involves having a conscious attitude of reverence and awe toward God, the Father of the family, and obeying Him.

In other words, we have decided to serve Him with our whole hearts, minds, and souls. In addition, it also involves cultivating a deep relationship with Him through prayer, study, and meditation on Scripture. In this way, we learn more and more about how to live according to His will.

By dwelling in the house of the Lord, we seek to grow closer to Him and experience the beauty of living our life entirely devoted to Him.

Being Close to God

David’s desire in Psalm 27:4 is to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life. This Psalm expresses the call for believers to live in close fellowship with God, allowing Christ to be at the center of their lives. As Christians, dwelling in the house of the Lord means living a life of holiness, obedience, and total surrender to the God of the house. It is an invitation to seek His presence through prayer, worship, and meditation on His word. By dwelling in the house of the Lord; we express our dependence on God for everything we need in life.

7 Benefits of Dwelling in the House of the Lord

A person who dwells in God’s house will enjoy a life of protection and stability. It is the safest place to live, whether good or bad. It is a sanctuary of peace, joy, and satisfaction. Abiding in the Lord’s house connects us to God and His people. This helps our faith grow as we learn from them and the Scripture. It provides a place for spiritual growth and development. Dwelling in the house of God brings us the strength to face life’s trials and difficulties with confidence and hope. Abiding in the house of the Lord causes us to worship the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The benefits of dwelling in the Lord’s house are innumerable. Let’s list a few.

1. Growing in the faith

First, Dwelling in the Lord’s house brings about a powerful spiritual transformation in one’s life. When we dwell in His house, we constantly hear His word. Therefore, our faith grows continually. This is because faith comes from hearing the word of God. And if we dwell in His house, His voice will be the constant music in our ears, and His words will be our necessary food.

Faith also requires a special atmosphere to grow. And that is an atmosphere saturated by the Holy Spirit. This makes the Presence of God the most suitable place for faith to develop. It allows us to grow in faith and trust the Lord even when everything else in the physical world seems uncertain. Therefore, By dwelling in the house of the Lord, our lives become filled with confidence and assurance, which only the Presence of God can provide.

2. Being Blessed with Abundant Provision

Second, David desired to live in the Lord’s house all the days of his life. His faith was the basis of the desire that God would abundantly provide for him and bless him with prosperity. The Lord Jesus Christ has made that a reality. Because God supplies all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  He is the Great Shepherd of God’s sheepfold. And also the good Shepherd who guides, protects, and provides for the sheep and even gave His life for the sheep.

David, the shepherd boy, sang about our Great Shepherd in Psalm 23. With regards to provisions, he said:

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing” (Psalm 23:1). This is because I dwell in the house of the “Almighty” and the ElShaddai, the God that is more than enough. In addition, God says goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in His Presence forever.

3. Assurance of Divine Protection

Third, The privilege of divine protection is automatically ours when we choose to live in God’s house. God becomes our rock and hiding place, our shelter in the time of storm. The Psalmist sang of this in the 46th Psalm, saying: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea…” We will not fear because the

Lord of hosts is our Shepherd, our protector, our refuge, defense, and might. He has become our dwelling place—God who keeps Israel never slumbers nor sleeps. The God of Israel that brought them out of bondage by the hand of Moses and brought them into greatness by the hand of Joshua will keep you.

Therefore, all fear is gone. Because the Lord is your Shepherd (to feed, guide, defend, and protect), you shall never lack…” “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms:” (Deuteronomy 33:27).

4. Blessings For All Things About Life and Godliness

Fourth, Peter, in his 2nd Epistle, tells us that God’s “divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). He has made provisions for all we need to prosper in this life and to display the beauty of the Lord in godliness.

The Lord Jesus, speaking to you and men in the gospel of Matthew, said: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33). He says if you put the things of His house first, then we can expect all good things to flow our ways. Jesus said all other things will be added to us. What things? God will add all the things the people of the world kill themselves over will be added to our possession. Why? Because our Father is the creator of all things. He owns everything including “the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10 ESV Bible).

5. A Supernatural Bunker, a Place of Comfort, Rejuvenation, and Restoration

Fifth, The Lord’s house provides spiritual restoration and renewal. David knew God’s house as a place of solace and strength, where he could focus on Him and experience His presence and sustaining power. Likewise, as we abide in God’s house we will find renewed energy in times of trouble. It is a place of refuge where we can hide when the tank is low, and our strength is spent.

This is the bunker to which we come to hide, refuel and reload. It’s to God’s sanctuary where we run when worn out. And there we wait on Him who alone can renew our strength. In the 40th chapter of Isaiah, the Bible reveals this excellent benefit for us. Here it is from the New Living Bible:

“Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. And they will run and not grow weary, will walk and not faint.”

My dear Sisters and Brothers, let’s never forget this significant benefit of our salvation: we can run to a ‘supernatural bunker’ when we feel depleted. We can fly home on eagle’s wings and rejuvenate in our Father’s laboratory. From Now On, let’s make “running to the Secret Place” of the Most High our first resort and the last. There, we will find strength.

6. Experience the Presence of Heaven on Earth

Sixth, God is our Father who dwells in heaven. That means we are citizens of heaven. To say it the way Paul stated it in his Epistle “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:20, ESV Bible). If we live permanently in God’s house in heaven, we will enjoy the blessings of heaven while we live here in the flesh on earth. (Please think about that)

God is Spirit. We human beings are spirits with bodies and souls. God, the “Father of spirits,” gave birth to us. Therefore we are citizens of heaven. We are NOT of the earth. Not anymore. And because we are citizens of heaven, we can return to our country of birth, to our Father’s house, and abide there while we walk the earth in the flesh. We also have rights here on earth because we were born of the first Adam.

The revelation here is that if we return to our heavenly Father’s house and abide in God’s Presence spiritually, we will be able to pull down supernatural power and provision to give us a heaven-on-earth experience. This is what the Lord Jesus Christ did while He was here. He lived in two worlds.

7.  A Deeper Intimacy With God

Lastly, spiritually and humanly, Dwelling in the house of God can be life-changing. When we dwell in God’s house, we experience a deeper intimacy with Him. This allows us to grow closer to Him, learn more about His character, and gradually become like Him. It also creates an atmosphere of love and increases the believer’s sense of righteousness. The deeper intimacy will, in turn, help the believer follow the Shepherd without hesitation as He leads to the green pastures and the paths of righteousness.

As we abide in God’s house, our hearts are drawn closer and closer to the hearts of the Father and God’s people. This is because our fellowship is with the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and one another.

We experience these and more by dwelling in the Presence of God, including joy and peace that passes all understanding.

The Psalmist concludes by saying:

“You will show me the path of life; 

In Your presence is fullness of joy; 

In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11, ESV Bible).

Conclusion

The Scripture admonishes us to “seek the Lord while He may be found” (Hab. 2:3). And after we find Him, we will discover He rewards those that seek Him diligently(Hab. 2:12). When we “dwell in the house of the Lord” (Ps. 84:4), we can live life to its fullest in the presence of an ever-faithful God. 

His Presence will provide us with peace, joy, and renewed strength – something we all need in difficult times. Moreover, it gives us instant access to God’s supplies and helps us develop an intimate relationship with Him. Taking David’s life as an example, we can see the great impact that dwelling in God’s house can have on our lives. We can enjoy these same benefits if we make it a priority to spend time in God’s Presence every day.