This guided devotional is the first of the series ‘A Pilgrimage to Worship.’ 

Day one begins with a renovation of the heart, a desire for change deep within. These sorts of changes aren’t for everyone. In a world that chases fast upgrades—a quick coat of paint and some external fixtures—you won’t find that here. The Lord’s work often occurs in the unseen, as ‘deep cries unto deep’. Slow, meaningful changes reveal we are willing to lay down our will in obedience to His still small voice.

Faceless Worship is a call to humility. It’s for the hungry, the desperate, those desiring to cultivate a relationship with Jesus that causes all else to fade into insignificance. It’s time to create a space that the Holy Spirit find irresistible. 

Day 1: Building a home

Thus says the Lord:

“Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word. Isaiah 66:1-2

Okay, can we just stop there for a minute? If these words don’t evoke the majesty and grandeur of God, I’m not sure what will. Picture a throne extending from the earth to the heavens. Like a scene from Gulliver’s Travels where God is huge and we are minuscule in comparison.

It is the juxtaposition of the greatness of God and our humble humanity that provides the beauty of this verse. Though we are small and insignificant, the God of the universe asks us to build a home for Him. A place where He may rest*.

The Greek word for ‘rest’ is the Greek is ‘menuchah’ meaning resting place, a place of stillness, repose, and consolation. It is a quiet place of peace, soothing comfort, and settling down. In this sense, the creator of the universe desires to dwell, settle down, and make a home within a space that we create for Him. Mind blown.

We can shape the kind of life that the Holy Spirit desires to inhabit. Acts 7:49-50 reminds us that God’s plan is to dwell within human hearts, not man-made temples. The temple of the Holy Spirit must be built within us. We create that space.

When we first moved into our home, my husband and I changed our furniture around regularly. We started out, as many newly-married couples do, with second-hand pieces and whatever we could find. Then as time went on, we upgraded with better items. Each time we moved a new piece of furniture in, we also had to move everything around and get rid of the old pieces that didn’t fit or no longer served their purpose. In the process, we recovered lost items and uncovered spaces in desperate need of cleaning.

We all want to create a sense of ‘home’ in our house, and in the same way we can create a sense of home for Christ to dwell in our hearts. The Christian life is a constant renovation of the inner world. We must keep it fresh and let go of things that no longer serve a purpose.

In the process of decluttering our hearts, we find some areas have been neglected and are in need of a good clean. As we do a stocktake of what’s within us, we rediscover old dreams and desires we put on the shelf long ago. When we take a good look around, it becomes glaringly obvious that some things no longer fit and they need to go. In these moments we remember who we really are and have the opportunity to realign our values accordingly.

At times we are left uncomfortably empty; like something important is missing. We may pine for the old, but unless we are willing to let it go, there will be no space for the new.

This heart renovation is a prayerful and intentional task. If God is looking for one ‘who is of a poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word’, then we know it will take honesty, humility and obedience.

Reflection

It’s time to rearrange the furniture of your heart to create more space for the Holy Spirit to dwell.

1. What is currently taking up space in your heart? Some things need to be moved out or moved to a less prominent position. Are you willing to let them go?
2. Once you have moved things around, there are some empty spaces. What does God want you to fill these spaces with?
3. Throughout this process, you may uncover old dreams and desires that were forgotten or discarded. Is it time to pick them up, give them a polish and place them in full view once again?

Commit to doing an ongoing renovation of your heart and create a space for God to inhabit.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, you have full reign in my heart. 
Help me to create a space where you long to rest within me. 
Show me where I need to rearrange priorities.
Give me the courage to let go of things that are no longer useful.
Remind me who I am in you.
I welcome the new things you place in my life. 
Have your way in my heart now and forever,
Amen.

Songs:

Make Room: Community Music

Upper Room: Hillsong Worship

Further reading:

• Acts 7:49-50 God’s plan to dwell within the human heart (temple of the Holy Spirit), not man made temples.
• 1 Kings 8:27-30 & 2 Chronicles 6: 18-21 Prayer for the building of the temple
• Psalm 34:18 God being near to the broken hearted
• Isaiah 57:15-19 Restoring, healing and being near to the humble hearted.
• Isaiah 61:1 He will heal the broken hearted.
• Matthew 5:3-4 Blessed are the poor and those who mourn (beatitudes)
• Luke 18:13-14 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Humility)
• Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a contrite heart. These God will not despise. Check it out in The Message: ‘Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.’ 

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