Sanctuary
January 16, 2017Remember this song?
"Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for you."
I have always liked this song. The words and the tune. Singing it slowly and quietly. And then finishing with a flair of an upbeat tempo and louder chorus as if to let everyone know of our commitment to God.
But what does it mean to be a "sanctuary?" We hear about sanctuary cities. Animal sanctuaries. Church sanctuaries. But what about us being "living sanctuaries" for our Lord? Most of the time the word sanctuary is used, it refers to a place of safety or refuge. Is that what we want to be for God? Maybe. Maybe not.
The original meaning of the word referred to a sacred place. And when we invite God and tell him we will be a sanctuary for him we become a sacred place. But I think we are anything but a place of refuge and safety for God. We become a holy, sacred instrument to carry out His will in this world. And sometimes that is anything but safe. It requires courage, conviction, and commitment that reaches past my own ability and uses the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of me.
Do we simply sing the words as a pretty song to stir our emotions? Or do we sing the words with a conviction to our soul to become a sacred place for the work of God to be done?
Be that sacred place, that sanctuary, God uses to tell His part of the world that you inhabit about the saving grace in His son Jesus!
"Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary!"
Posted by Michael Ross.
