Sanctuary
"Thus says the Lord Yahweh...yet will I be to them a sanctuary." (Ezekiel 11:16 WEB)
When I read the word "sanctuary," I tend to think of part of a church building. But God is not limited by location, so there must be more to this description of Him than that.
God as our Sanctuary has less to do with place than with presence.
I was helped along in my understanding of this name when I broadened my viewpoint of sanctuary to something more along the lines of a bird sanctuary.
A sanctuary is protected...and God is the Protector.
A sanctuary is beautiful...and God is the Beautiful One.
A sanctuary is peaceful...and God is Yaheweh-Shalom.
A sanctuary is quiet...and God is the Quieter of His People.
A sanctuary is set apart...and God is the Holy One.
Do you need to sit a while in the Sanctuary today? I know I do. Maybe the place you'll find His presence is in your car. Maybe it will be a pew in a traditional church. Maybe it will be a blanket on the beach. Maybe it will be in the woods. Maybe it will be along a walking path.
Do you need to sit a while in the Sanctuary today? I know I do. Maybe the place you'll find His presence is in your car. Maybe it will be a pew in a traditional church. Maybe it will be a blanket on the beach. Maybe it will be in the woods. Maybe it will be along a walking path.
Wherever the place, while you're there, do what the people of God did in the sanctuary: worship. This could mean singing. It could mean speaking Scripture out loud. It could mean praying. It could mean mentally thanking God for the things He's made that you can see around you. It could mean journaling your journey. It could mean being still.
"I have seen you in the sanctuary," wrote David in Psalm 63.
Look for the Protector, the Beautiful One, Yahweh-Shalom, the Quieter of His People, the Holy One in your sanctuary, sweet friends—for this reason above all else: "because Your love is better than life."
Look for the Protector, the Beautiful One, Yahweh-Shalom, the Quieter of His People, the Holy One in your sanctuary, sweet friends—for this reason above all else: "because Your love is better than life."
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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!