TEMPORARY VS PERMANENT

In my personal devotions today, I was reading the 15th Psalm using the Amplified Bible and got a new insight from that first verse.

The Amplified reads: "Lord, Who shall dwell [temporarily] in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell [permanently] on Your holy hill?" Suddenly a light bulb went on. Of course! Our bodies are God's tabernacle! And we live in these bodies on a temporary basis! Apparently "Your holy hill" refers to the after life, or heaven, where we will dwell with God permanently.

Simple! Why didn't I see that before? (That's why I said in yesterday's blog that I like to use different versions of God's Word and compare them with the King James version!) And in case you're interested, in the Amplified Bible, words in brackets, like [temporary] and [permanently] are clarifying words or comments not actually expressed in the immediate original text. Parentheses ( ), on the other hand, signify additional phrases of meaning included in the original word. The Amplified version is easier to understand when you keep those two things in mind.

After I contemplated the true meaning of that first verse for a few moments, I read the remainder of the chapter which explains who David is talking about. I can't point out everything in this blog, though; but you can read it for yourself. As you read it, ask yourself if you measure up to the requirements listed for those looking forward to dwelling permanently with the Lord.

I stopped a few moments with that word "blamelessly" in the second verse. "Perfect?" I first thought to myself. Then I realized it didn't say "perfect." Nor did it say "faultless." Nor did it make mention of never being a failure. Just "blameless." "Blameless" has numerous definitions; but the one I like best in connection with this verse is "guilt-free." Thank God for the privilege of living a guilt-free life!

When I came across the word "slander" in verse three, I thought, "Uh, Oh -- isn't that "gossip?" "Gossip," of course, is frowned upon for the Christian, but "slander" takes gossiping a little further: backbiting, backstabbing, mud-slinging, misrepresentation, lying. There's a lot of room for self-inspection right there.

Anyhow, read the Psalm for yourself and see how you measure up to the listed requirements for those desiring to dwell on God's holy hill permanently. God bless you as you do.

Preacher's Kid