CAC LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR NOVEMBER 23, 2021 (BE A FORTIFIED TEMPLE)
TOPIC: BE A FORTIFIED TEMPLE
Read Ezra 3:7-13
7 They also gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to THE people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar logs from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the permission which they had from Cyrus king of Persia.
8 Now in the second month of the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began work and appointed the Levites from twenty years old and above to oversee the work of the house of the LORD.
9 Then Jeshua with his sons and brothers, Kadmiel with his sons, and the sons of Judah, c arose as one to oversee those working on the house of God: the sons of Henadad with their sons and their brethren the Levites.
10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood d in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel.
11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever toward Israel.” Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. 12 But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy,
13 so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off.
MEMORISE:
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)
EXPOSITION
The temple is a special building built, and dedicated, or set apart only for the worship of God. The Temple built by King Solomon is among the wonders of the ancient world; it was a master piece of beauty that non like it was ever built again in the history of human beings.
The new temple being built by the returned exiles fell short of the Solomon temple as the older priest and Levites who saw the former temple wept (verse 12). God’s temple should occupy a very important place in our lives, just like the people of God. This is because it is the house of God (Acts. 17:24). The place where our sacrifices are to be made to God in worship. A place, a building eternal relationship.
The Church, body of Christ, no longer idolise the physical temple again today (1 Cor. 3:16,17). The Spirit of God now resides in the believers, who are the temple of the living God. As God’s holy temple, you must present yourself to God as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1-2). It is possible as God’s temple that you are damaged, or functional (fortified) (2 Cor. 5:13). Sin, devil and the world are those things that damage God’s presence in the life of a Christian. God wants to reside in you but His holiness cannot condone sin. Before you can enjoy God’s presence, power and glory, you must live for Him as you allow Him to dwell in you.
More attention should be paid to discipleship programmes at the local level so that the people (the Building) can be sufficiently built for the OWNER’S habitation (1 Cor. 3:9; Eph. 2:20-22).
PRAYER POINTS
1. Lord, make me Your sanctuary, a holy habitation for You.
2. Lord, don’t allow me to be desolate and destroyed as Your temple.
3. Help believers to present themselves to You, O God, holy and acceptable sacrifices.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY:
Ezekiel 12:8 – 14:19; James 1:16, 2:9
HAVE A GLORIOUS TUESDAY…………….SHALOM
