As a blizzard bore down on my hometown, my widowed mother agreed to stay with my family to “ride out” the storm. After the blizzard, however, she never returned to her house. She moved in, dwelling with us for the rest of her life. Her presence changed our household in many positive ways. She was available daily to provide wisdom, advice to family members and share ancestral stories. She and my husband became the best of friends, sharing a similar sense of humour and love of sports. No longer a visitor, she was a permanent and vital resident—forever changing our hearts even after God called her home.
The experience recalls John’s description of Jesus—that He “dwelt among us” (John 1:14 KJV). It’s a compelling description because in the original Greek the word dwelt means “to pitch a tent”. Another translation says, He “made his home among us” (NLT).
By faith, we also receive Jesus as the One who dwells in our hearts. As Paul wrote, “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong” (Ephesians 3:16–17 NLT).
Not a casual visitor, Jesus is an empowering permanent resident of all who follow Him. May we open wide the doors of our hearts and welcome Him.
By Patricia Raybon
REFLECT & PRAY
What does it mean for you to open your heart to Christ? How can you make Him more welcome?
As You live in my heart, loving Jesus, make me more like You.
The word dwell in Ephesians 3:17 is a translation of the word katoikeō. Literally, the word means “to settle down in a dwelling, to dwell fixedly in a place.” Twice in Colossians Paul used this word to emphasize the deity and supremacy of Jesus: “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him” (1:19); “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (2:9). Christ Himself, through His Spirit, makes His home in us ( Romans 8:9, 11; Ephesians 3:17), and the implications of Him residing in each member of His body are significant. Believers in Jesus are to conduct their lives in a manner that acknowledges and respects the residency of a “houseguest” like no other. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you . . . ?” Paul says. “Therefore honour God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Arthur Jackson
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