A Dwelling Place for God
1 Kings 5–7; Leviticus 26:11–13; Ephesians 2:19–22
When I think about the idea of “home,” it’s more than a house or walls. Home is where you feel safe, where you belong, where love settles in. And when I read about Solomon building the temple, I can’t help but see how deeply God desires to dwell with His people, to make His home among us.
In 1 Kings 5–7, Solomon begins the work his father David longed to do: building the temple for the Lord. The chapters describe in vivid detail the labor, the beauty, and the craftsmanship poured into this holy place. Cedar beams, gold overlays, precious stones… all carefully woven into a structure that would become the center of Israel’s worship. This was no ordinary building: it was a visible reminder that God’s presence was among His people.
This moment was the fulfillment of promises God had spoken generations earlier. In Leviticus 26:11–13, He said, “I will make my dwelling among you… I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.” The temple was a picture of that covenant promise: God, choosing to dwell with His people, not because of their greatness but because of His faithfulness.
But even the beauty of Solomon’s temple pointed to something greater. Centuries later, Paul would write in Ephesians 2:19–22 that through Jesus, we are no longer strangers and outsiders: we are the household of God. We are being built together into a spiritual dwelling place for the Lord. The gold and stone of Solomon’s temple were only shadows of the greater reality: God Himself living in us through His Spirit.
When I think about this, I’m humbled. The God who filled the temple with His glory now chooses to make His home in hearts like mine. Not because I am polished or perfect, but because of Christ. I don’t have to go to a holy place to find Him. He dwells in me, and in every believer, knitting us together as His temple, His home.
Do I live each day aware that I am a dwelling place for God’s Spirit?
When I remember that His presence lives within me, it changes how I walk through ordinary moments. My life becomes a temple of worship, not because of anything I’ve built, but because He has made His home in me.
Lord, thank You for choosing to dwell with Your people. Thank You that through Jesus, I am no longer a stranger but part of Your household. Help me to remember that my life is a temple for Your Spirit. May everything I do reflect Your glory and invite others to know the God who makes His home with us. Amen.
