From The Pastor

• 09/29/2010 09:33

  Great Verses For Our Application #3 - Exodus 15:2

  This 15th chapter of Exodus begins with what is called the "Song of Moses". This song of praise to God is in response to the great victory wrought by God in defeating the Egyptian army in the waters of the Red Sea. Imagine the flood of joy and thankfulness that Moses must have felt as he prepared to sing this song! What on the surface seemed as a sure slaughter, with the Red Sea before them and the rampaging Egyptian army at their backs, became one of the greatest miracles ever recorded in the Bible or human history. With a flood of emotion welling up inside, we see this wonderful song of praise to God from the lips of Moses.

   

  Our verse for this week is Exodus 15:2 - "The LORD is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation: my father's God, and I will exalt Him." I want to focus on the phrase "I will prepare Him an habitation." In application, we can derive two meanings from this statement. The first of which is making God a habitation or dwelling place for us. There is no better place to set up a home than in the glorious tabernacle that is our God. No place is safer, happier, joyous or more peaceful than the mansion that is the Lord. The moment that we "settle down" and make God our permanent address, the sooner we realize that we are home to stay! Another application of that phrase is found in the New Testament truth that teaches the permanent indwelling of God in the believer, through the Person of the Holy Spirit. The moment a person is saved, God the Holy Spirit indwells or takes up residence in that believer. In application, we should "prepare Him an habitation." We'll get back to that a little later. Before this habitation can take place, notice with me some things that must be in place to make this habitation a reality. In verse one, we see Moses and the children of Israel singing unto the Lord. They sang for a reason not out of ritual. If the child of God is going to prepare his heart and soul as a suitable dwelling place for God, he must have a reason to sing praises to God. As blood washed children of God, we have many reasons to sing praises to God. We should consistently focus on them and thank God daily as a  result. When we sing in response to our love and thankfulness to God, it will be joy to prepare Him a habitation in our hearts.

   

  In verse two the people sang, "The LORD is my strength." When God's people have come to a point of living and relying on God's strength rather than our own, no one will have to convince us to prepare Him a habitation in our hearts. On the flip side, a habitation for God in our hearts becomes less of a need when we try to rely on our own strength and not God's. The people also sang that God "is become my salvation." Not only do we owe our soul's salvation to God but also our deliverance from many situations and trials in this life. The more we see the hand of God upon our daily lives, the more we will desire to prepare Him a habitation in our hearts. This verse culminates in another reason why we should desire to prepare Him a habitation - "He is my God." This may seem obvious, but there are many Christians who have set up other gods in their lives. Jesus is their Saviour but has a hard time becoming their Lord. Jesus said in John 14:15 - "If ye love me, keep my commandments." Jesus must be both Saviour and Lord. He must be in the driver's seat, not the co-pilot. It is His Word that we must live by, not the justifications that come from our own wisdom. When a believer truly lives as if God is their God, then he will be overjoyed in preparing Him a habitation.

   

  In closing, notice some ways in which we can properly prepare Him a habitation. We must first off insure that God will be comfortable in our habitation for Him. This habitation for God must be a clean and holy place. It must be free from the world's harmful toxins that so many poison their bodies with. It must be free from the foundations that create wrong thoughts and actions in our lives. This habitation should have a spirtual revolving door - God's Word coming in and praises and prayers going out. God will never feel comfortable in a habitation where only sinful things enter and leave. Keep the revolving door spinning with those things that please God. A proper habitation for God should also come with an eternal lease. When God moves in, He should never be so uncomfortable that if it were possible He would desire to leave. Sadly, too many Christians have God on a "month to month lease". One month they're right, the next month they're not. The child of God must have a consistent daily walk with God. When God moves in, we never want Him ever wishing that He could move out. Let's put God on an eternal lease in this habitation.

   

  A final thought is this: this preparation must be self-motivated. Notice it is us who prepare Him a habitation. We must want God in the habitation of our hearts and we must do all that we can to not only prepare a place where God feels comfortable, but also to be in the mindset to constantly make "upgrades" to this habitation. We should constantly desire spiritual growth and sweet fellowship with God as we go forward in our Christian lives. Never be satisfied with the make-up of your habitation for God. Spiritual growth and service towards God will keep your habitation fresh and enjoyable for God.

   

  Lastly, keep the windows of your soul open so the comfortable breezes of the Holy Spirit can come in and filter out any stale air that contaminates your habitation. Allow the winds of God's Word to circulate in your habitation so that all could breathe easily in your presence. Preparing God a habitation in your heart shows not only your desire for God to be there, but also makes your habitation the most valuable property on the market.

   

  Striving for the Saviour,

  Pastor George Yurick