Our Dwelling Place
From everlasting to everlasting
You are God
From Andrew Murray's 'Abide in Christ.'
‘Lord, You have been our dwelling place
in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or You formed the earth
and the world, from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God.’ Psalm 90:1, 2
3
Jesus, said. ‘I'm the true Vine, You are the branches. Abide in Me, Without Me you can do nothing.’ John 15:5
When we spend time with Him in His word, we are letting Him lift us and keep us safe in His Almighty life:
His rest for our soul, sharing all the glory of His royal life. He died to give us this.
The still small voice that is mightier than the wind, whispers to us, 'Stay.’
4
Learn of Me and find rest for your soul,
freed from every fear,
supply of every need, fulfillment of every desire:
a place always open to you,
the heart of God.
It is His own work to keep you abiding.
‘The eternal God is our refuge and underneath
are His Everlasting Arms.'
Deuteronomy 33:27
How great is His goodness, how great is His beauty.' Zechariah 9:17
5
Look to Him and be saved, anytime, anyplace, for He is life.
‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.' John 14:6
The connection between the Vine and the branch is a Living one,
complete union with the Son of God. wholly and only for each other. Each moment dependent on Him alone.
The soul bows in worship
of the mystery of this perfect union.
6
The Vine keeps nothing
for itself
but exists only for the branches.
All Jesus is in heaven, He is for us.
He stands before the heavenly Father
for us.
I have joined Myself inseparably to you.
The most blessed
and joyful thing under heaven.
‘I in them
and You in Me.’ John 17
He will enable you to abide.
7
Believing is the channel through which
His life flows.
When we err, His promise is sure.
When we look to Him, perfect intimacy
and full love embraces.
‘When we confess our sins
He is faithful and just to forgive us
and cleanse from all unrighteousness.’
1 John 1:9
He holds you firm and nourishes you,
being responsible for your
growth and fruit.
8
Who ‘upholds all things
by the word of His power.’
Hebrews 1:3
Who calls us with exceeding sweetness,
who renews our fallen natures by grafting them into Himself,
the Everlasting God.
The infinite One
who created the universe.
Of God, you are in Christ Jesus,
carried day by day, thought by thought higher
and higher into the splendor of His majesty.
9
Before He made the world, God set His heart of love on you. ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love.’ Jeremiah 31:3
‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.’ Jeremiah 1:5
Our heavenly Father watches
over His own with the same love
and delight that He watched over His Son. John 17:23
Whatever God creates is exquisitely suited to its end. From eternity made to inseparably belong to each other.
10
Into His very heart,
having His righteousness,
enrobed in His loving Presence.
You are ‘the one the King
delights to honor.’
The simple secret of reaching into heaven, gaining more than was lost.
A deliverance complete and eternal in the victorious King.
His endless power working in us.
Clothed with Him in the inner sanctuary of the Father’s Presence.
11
His power to be your holiness;
The heir of future glory. What is too high and too great to attain is given.
It is no longer I, but Christ that lives in Me; the Son of God who loves me and gave Himself for me.’ Galatians 2:20
Begin each morning with the joyful, childlike transference of all your needs
and cares to the Father.
He holds you as His own, breathing into your heart His eternal holiness.
12
Our work is to listen in stillness,
hushed in the Presence of eternal majesty.
Quietness is the blessed secret.
the ever-deepening calm and quietness
of heaven is ours.
Be still and know that
I am God.
I will be exalted in the heavens.
I will be exalted in the earth.’
Psalm 46
Storms root you more firmly in Him.
He is nearer than any affliction.
13
All His desire is toward you
with a longing stronger than death.
You are
indispensably precious to Him,
‘chosen before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and blameless
before Him in love.’
Ephesians 1:4
The eternal glory and Divine beauty
stretches out crucified hands
and says ‘
Abide in Me.’
14
Holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners, and higher than the heavens.
Hebrews 7:26
By one offering perfected forever
those that are sanctified(believers).’
Hebrews 10:14
Who ‘upholds all things
by the word of His power.
Stronger than my weakness
His almighty love holds me
to His heart.
15
Each moment the power
of eternity
Talking with God
‘Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.’ James 4:8
From Charles Stanley’s, The Ultimate Conversation
Everyone has the privilege of coming into the very throne room of the universe: Invited into intimate conversation with the One who cares about you most: to talk to the Lord of all that exists.
He loves us and wants us to know Him. Our good, loving, powerful, heavenly Father is always available.
He delights to hear from us. ‘Call, I will answer and show you great and mighty things.’ Jeremiah 3:33
So constant a helper; So faithful a friend
We can approach God boldly because Jesus’ death in our place made us ‘Holy as He is holy.’
4
The power isn’t in the prayer but the God to whom we pray:
Our Lord, Maker, King, Mighty warrior, Redeemer, and faithful High Priest.
He who is eternity, everywhere, and can’t change, always with you.
He is our adequacy. He can literally move heaven and earth for you, like Joshua the day He made the sun stand still. Is anything too hard for the Lord?
Genesis 18:14
5
Approach Him humbly and expectantly. Looking to ourselves robs us of the awesome power of His love and Presence.
The One who has infinite power is absolutely faithful to keep His promises.
Immeasurable value, the eternally existing Life Giver.
Let’s turn our thinking away from troubles to our Matchless God who can triumph over any difficulty.
6
The Lord is my shepherd.’ Psalm 23 Shepherds dedicate their lives to their flocks, tenderly caring for them. Our heavenly Shepherd is always here to guiding, protecting from harm, and satisfying your soul continually with love, acceptance, companionship, and worth as no one else can.
We listen to God more closely, depend on Him more fully as we walk with Him through adversity.
7
His aim is to bring us deeper into an intimate relationship with Him, the Source of all we have and our Defender in every situation.
The Lord spoke the entire universe into existence, placed the billions of stars, worlds, and galaxies in their orbits,
naming each one.
Everything that exists from the smallest particle to the infinity of space rests in the omnipotent hand of our omniscient Father.
8
He suffered and was tempted in every way. He knows heartache of being rejected, betrayed, and the absolute agony of being forsaken.
And He faithfully walks through each challenge with you.
When you pray, go into your inner room, and close the door. He wants you all to Himself. Your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Matthew 6:4
9
Jesus told us to call the Lord of heaven Father. Matthew 6:9
‘The Father of mercies and God of all comfort who comforts us in all our afflictions.’
2 Corinthians 1:3
Ask Him anything in My name ‘that your joy may be full.’ John 16:24
Talking to Him brings real answers from the real God who cares, who unfailingly accepts us.
10
You are a vital part of His royal family, Wanted, needed, and loved!
He sacrificed everything to have a relationship with you and went to the cross.
You become all He created you to be as you look to Him.
Tell all to your Father and let Him free you from any hurt and bitterness in your heart.
‘Casting all your cares on Him for He cares for you.’ 1 Peter 5:7
11
Only follow One who knows the way.
‘The Lord’s work is perfect. All His ways are just.’ Deuteronomy 32:4
‘I will guide you with My eye.’
Psalm 32:8
We are not to trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.’ 2 Corinthians 1:9
As we pray, Jesus, our High Priest, transforms our prayers into exactly right, pleasing ones, ascending as beautiful incense to the Father.
12
None can stand against the Living God.
‘I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too hard for Me?’
Focus on His awesome power (which spoke the universe into being) and trust His perfect timing (that keeps all the galaxies on precisely correct paths).
The Lord will rescue Me from every evil and bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom.’
2 Timothy 4:18
13
We serve the eternal God. We live for what matters and what will last.
We joyously give thanks to the Father Who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.’ Colossians 1:11,12
Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, higher than the heavens.
Hebrews 7:26
‘Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.’
Romans 8:38, 39
14
Prayer, the most awesome privilege in life. Through it we can touch anyone, anywhere. We can move mountains and change nations.
15
Let Me hear your voice for it is sweet
Living in Joy
I will know as I am known
Translated from French: notes, conversations, and letters by Nicholas Herman, of Lorraine, a lowly and unlearned man who after having been a footman and a soldier was admitted as a lay brother among the barefooted Carmelite monks at Paris in 1666 and was afterwards known as Brother Lawrence.
3
Lawrence grew in the knowledge and love of God, trying to constantly to walk in His presence, living only as a steward, to stay in ‘the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus.’
2 Corinthians 11:3
His one aim was union with God. ‘The inexpressible sweetness I taste there yields great joy.’
In turmoil, 'I possess great tranquility as in the quietest prayer. Knowing He is with me.’ Hebrews 13:5
4
‘Seeking God's Presence by continually conversing with Him, without fear of being troublesome,
he resolved to make the love of God the end of all his actions.
Long fearing he would be damned,
he saw this arose from lack of faith. 'Faith comes by hearing
the word of God.'
Romans 10:17
Realizing this, he lived in perfect liberty and continual joy.
5
He knew he could do nothing of himself. God was his strength.
Speak with God simply and plainly,
for He invites, ‘Let Me hear your voice, for it is precious to Me.’
Song of Solomon 2:14
With prayer he found unwelcome tasks
easy and well done.
When overcome by a fault, he confessed to God, knowing the Savior cleansed them away at the
cross.
6
Useless thoughts spoil all. We ought to reject them as soon as we perceive their impertinence and return to communion with God.
Our only aim is to love and delight ourselves in God (while pointing others to the same). And to expect the pardon of our failings in this through the Blood of Jesus.
The greatest pleasures in this world are but pale shadows of the wonder of Him.
7
The trust we put in God honors Him much and draws down great graces.
Knowing the comfort of His nearness and turning away from everything that does not lead to God, unspeakable pleasures followed.
When distracted from the thought of God, a fresh remembrance from God invested his soul and so inflamed and transported him that it was difficult for him to contain himself.
8
In difficulties when we look to Jesus everything becomes easy. Leaning on His help brings us to adoring and loving Him incessantly. We rely only on the merits and ability of our Lord Jesus.
To the soul being insensible to everything but His love, life passes in continual joy. His life is in us to reflect Him without our effort and to our exceeding great delight.
9
When filled with great sentiments of the Divine Being, Lawrence went to work in the kitchen for he was the cook.
Keeping Him always before us,
brings a holy freedom where we ask and are granted whatever we need, bringing awe of His great goodness to us.
‘The Presence of God, always with and in me, brings great delight, a profound inner peace, a center place of rest.’
10
A simple, secret conversation of the soul with God. In failure, far from chastising me, He embraces me with love, gives me the key to His treasures. ‘In whom are hid all the treasures.’ Colossians 2:3
A little lifting of the heart to Him suffices, even on a march with sword in hand.
There is not in this world a kind of life more
sweet and delightful than continual conversation with God.
In troubles turn to Him often. He is nearer than any of us know.
11
Everyone is capable of familiar conversations with God. Sufferings are sweet while we are with Him.
Leave Him not alone.
You would think it rude to leave a friend alone who came to visit you.
Think on Him often,
adore Him continually. Put all your trust in Him and you will soon find recovery.
God permits us to suffer a little to purify our
12
souls to continue with Him. ‘The Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your soul. Isaiah 58:11
I, who deserve the severest discipline, feel joys so continual and so great I can scarce contain them.
Humble, affectionate conversation with God brings the peace of paradise.
The deeper our knowledge of Him, the greater will be our love.
Stay always with Him even in unfaithfulness.
13
God is with you
at the very depth of your soul.
Quiet times with God
destroy the love of self unconsciously,
finding our joy in the eternal Source of all. To Him all hearts are open.
His perfection is infinite and Sovereign.
What great surprise awaits in these times
with Him,
who delights with all His being
in this communion.
14
Joy that has no measure, without a single effort on our part.
Dazzled by the Majesty of His Infinite Being.
The greatest glory we can give Him is to trust and commit ourselves to His safekeeping.
God allows trials to purify the soul.
Let us seek Him in our sorrows and pains just when they begin to press upon us.
If I had only known Him sooner.
15
Your Presence is fullness
of Joy