A Dwelling Place Discovered Through a Swoosh of Feathers

A swoosh of black and gray feathers darted from the apple tree to the birdhouse nailed to my grape arbor. The chickadee twitched with excitement as she crawled through the circular opening and back out again, exploring her new dwelling place.

Have You Discovered Your Dwelling Place?

From the perch she flew to another branch, hopped across two or three others and swooped back to the birdhouse, again twitching with hyperactivity.

And … repeat. 

In and out. Chattering incessantly. It was as though she were doing a happy dance, celebrating her home.

I had provided a dwelling place –- one that perfectly delighted her. 

I wondered if I still delighted in the dwelling place the Lord provided for me –- not just the one in heaven that awaits, but the one here and now. He is my dwelling place. My Refuge. Beneath the shadow of His wings I find His rest. His peace. His comfort … anything that I need.

Oh that I would remain in Him, delighting in His Word, resting in His love.

I stepped back into the house, my thoughts swirling, seeking to hear the message of the Lord.

Had I become so familiar with His gift of relationship, His extraordinary provision of being an actual place of refuge — a dwelling place — that I had lost the wonder of it all?

I fear that I had.

As I thought and prayed, the Lord led me to the psalms, specifically Psalm 84, where an image of this precious gift of dwelling is expressed. It drew me in.

The words awakened my heart.

And, once again, I remembered, and marveled at the goodness of the Lord.

Perhaps you, too, would like to bask in the words of the psalmist, taking time to remember the sweetness of your dwelling place in the Lord:

A Dwelling Place of Loveliness

How lovely are Your dwelling places,
O Lord of hosts! 

My soul (my life, my inner self) longs for and greatly desires the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.

The bird has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God. 

 Blessed and greatly favored are those who dwell in Your house and Your presence;
They will be singing Your praises all the day long.  ~ Psalm 84:1-4, AMP

Standing at the kitchen sink, I peered out at the chickadee, still hopping about, still delighting in her dwelling place, and I thought to myself, “My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the Living God!”

Selah

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Thank you so much for stopping by. I would love for you to share what’s on your heart in the comments below. Scroll a little farther down and you’ll see where you can leave your comments. Together, we can find the nearness of God in our darkest moments.

Sweet blessings to you,

NAN