“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6

To help us understand what King David meant when he said, “I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever,” we need to consider the story of his life. He was living with an end in mind. In David’s day, the official place of worship was still the old tabernacle, dating from the time of Moses which was no more than a tent. When David set up his capital in Jerusalem, he was bothered about living in a house of cedar while “the ark of God dwells in a tent” (2 Samuel 7:1). He decided to build a temple for the Lord, but this was not God’s plan. His response to the king was in essence, “No, you won’t.”

David meant to honor God with his building. However, the Lord made it clear that it wasn’t David’s idea He was rejecting—it was the circumstances. David’s role as a warrior made him unsuitable for the role of temple builder (1 Chronicles 28:2-3). In God’s plan, David’s son Solomon would build the house for His glory.

However, David’s thinking as we see here and in other Psalms was focused beyond the idea of a temple in Jerusalem. His mind went to a house not made with human hands in the heavenlies (John 14:3).

If someone asks you where you live, you could pinpoint them the exact location of your house or apartment. But if someone asked you where you will live forever, would you understand that question and what would your answer be? I cannot pinpoint the exact location on a map, but Jesus says it’s a place he has gone to prepare just for me.

Bro. Larry