Psalm 15:1 – “LORD, who shall dwell in Thy Tabernacle?  Who shall inhabit Thy Holy Mountain?”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, my thoughts focused on Psalm 15, 18, and Galatians 5.   The question of the Psalmist reverberates in my heart and produces both desire and conviction simultaneously.

Psalm 15:1 asked an incredible question.  For some, that question is discouraging.  They think it is not possible, so they drift into the clutches of despair.  Others hear this and long to be qualified or accepted, and to make this a reality in their life.  The goal is to dwell in God’s presence.  Abide in His shadow, live in His temple, and be covered by His protective shield.

Who can?  Who can dwell in the Tabernacle of God?   In vv.  2-3, we read, “He that walks uprightly and works righteousness and speaks the truth in his heart.  3 He that deceives not with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor accepts a bribe from his neighbor.”  Remember, the definition of who our neighbor is that Jesus gave in the parable of the Good Samaritan is a guide.

In Psalm 18:32-35, we find that it is God who wraps us up in His strength, enabling us to live in purity.  He enables us to maintain a good balance as we navigate the rocky road of life and lifts us into His presence, equipping us for the war and strengthening us for the journey.

In Galatians, and especially in Chapter 5, we realize that God’s Grace equips us, but we also have a responsibility.  We receive Grace and then, by an act of our will, avoid or reject the works of darkness.  Galatians 5:1 – “Stand firm therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free, AND be not harnessed again under the yoke of servitude.” What we obey, we become servants to.

In Galatians 5:18-26, we have a detailed list of lifestyles to resist and reject.  We have the New Testament response to the question of Psalm 15.  We put off and put on, and what we put off and put on determines where we abide spiritually.

In Galatians 6:7-8, Paul connects everything to the Law of Sowing and Reaping.  The principle Jesus gave in Luke 6:38 is the principle of life.  Cause and effect lived out.

Do we desire to dwell in God’s Tabernacle and live on His Holy Mountain of the Presence of God?  Then we receive His Grace and do our part, rejecting the works of darkness and embracing the fruit of His Spirit.  It is not working to earn favor, but working out of favor that establishes us.  It is Grace, Faith, and Choice.

If our heart craves nearness to God more than life itself, we will experience Him like never before!