“Lord, through all the generations you have been our home!(Psalm 90:1 NLT)

The ESV puts in like this: “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.”

In Deuteronomy 33:27 Moses described God as Israel’s “dwelling place,” and here, in Psalm 90:1, he repeats this wonderful truth.

As we approach Christmas and I see the adverts depicting joyful families, the images of parties and cosy homes filled with gifts and laughter, I find myself thinking of those who are alone. The widow, the divorcee, the single person, the one estranged from family and the homeless.

Lord, You have been our dwelling place

This prayer of Moses was almost certainly written during those 40 years in the wilderness as the people of God trudged their way to the Promised Land. Neither Moses nor the people he led found a place in the wilderness they could call home. Yet they were never alone, they had the LORD as their dwelling place, their refuge and their protection.

Numbers 33 lists 42 places where Israel set up camp, but none of those places was ever home. Only the Lord is truly home to His people.

In all generations

Thousands of years later, we can say the same. Every follower of Jesus has a home in him. Christians are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20) and merely sojourners on the earth (1 Peter 2:11). As we travel through this life, we can feel at home in Christ. In fact Jesus encouraged us to find him as our home. “Abide in me,” he said, and “abide in my love” (John 15:4, 9).

Home, by definition, should be a place where we can rest, where we feel secure and safe to be ourselves, and where love takes first place.

If you are facing Christmas on your own, remember this: You are not alone — now or at any time. You can rest in the knowledge that you are loved by the one who wove the very sinews of your being together. You are known to the the inmost places of your heart — the darkest, the brightest, the most joyful, the most wounded. God knows and cares for your unspoken and deepest needs and will never leave or forsake you. You have a forever home in him.

1 Corinthians 13:12, Psalm 139:4, Deuteronomy 31:8

Jill 💜