You Are the Temple of God

Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

Isaiah 66:1 (KJV)

We all know the story of David, who desired to build a temple for God. His intention was not to make a name for himself by constructing a physical edifice—fashioned by human hands—to house God. Rather, he wished to express his gratitude to God for all He had accomplished in his life and in the life of His people. Unfortunately for him, God decided that he would not be the one to build this temple. Such accounts appear repeatedly in the Bible: moments when man sought to offer a dwelling place to God.

In this passage, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God clearly declares to His people that they cannot build a temple capable of containing Him. When He states that heaven is His throne, He does not mean that this throne is located at a specific point in the firmament; He means that the heavens in their entirety constitute His throne. Can you imagine that the God whose throne is heaven—a God whom no temple built by human hands could contain—dwells in your heart? To the human mind, this is inconceivable. Yet, from a spiritual perspective, He does not merely dwell within us; He takes full possession of us.

When Jesus promised the coming of the Holy Spirit, He was announcing the promise of God’s presence within us. While the patriarchs could not offer God a physical place to dwell among them, today—through Jesus Christ—we have become the temple of God. Despite our sins, He delights in dwelling within us. However, it is up to us to make room for Him and to cleanse ourselves of any impurity or anything that might hinder His presence. Whenever you yield to the temptations of sin, remember that God has chosen to dwell in your heart; He expects you to refrain from anything that would prevent Him from establishing His throne there. See to it that your life is in harmony with His desires.

May the grace and peace of God be with you.