"The Holy Place"

(Thanks to Bryan and Peggy for inspiration on this one.)

    A place exists within our spirits wherein only One can enter.  "Thou art God alone" declared the Psalmist to the Occupant who alone serves as the Life of life (Colossians 3:4).  Moreover, King Solomon wrote that "the Lord hath made all things for Himself" (Proverbs 16:4).  This especially includes the humanity originally made in His image so that God could lovingly commune with us like no other of His creations.  Indeed, the Lord made you and me for Himself.

There, there in the holy place,

faith looks to Grace, and sees the Face, 

the only Face

that shines within the heart.

There, there the Spirit and the spirit

dwell as one, a gift given,

given by the Son

as sent from His Father's heart.

There, there we find our cause for being,

as in a holy seeing

we look upon the One

who alone fulfills our needy heart.

There, there in the holy place,

the love of Grace, and love for Grace

sees only One, only one

bright and glorious Heart…

There, there in the holy place.

    God calls us to love many, including friend and foe (John 13:34; Matthew 5:44).  In the depths of our spiritual being, however, we love One "with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength" (Mark 12:30; emphasis added).  A place of loving devotion exists within us where only the Lord can rightly dwell.  All others must be viewed as imposters and idols.  We come forth from this "holy place" to love people, of course, and we love them far more and far better through the love "shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us" (Romans 5:5).  Nevertheless, we shall never love many until we love but One.  This is the enigma of love that resolves into Light and Life as we reserve the depths of our hearts for the Lord who made and redeemed them for Himself.

"He is thy life."

(Deuteronomy 30:20)

"To live is Christ."

(Philippians 1:21)

Weekly Memory Verse

    Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in Thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto Thee.

(Psalm 143:8)