A place of nourishment
Something that is special about the house of God unlike every other house, is that it is completely furnished and ready to satisfy anyone’s needs; in what ever condition he/she may be in. Jesus mentioned something along those lines that if a friend were to come to his friends house and ask for food in the middle of the night, that he would give him what he needed because of his audacity of asking. And, so it is in the house of God when we come and ask we should receive(Lk11:8). As in most houses, when a guest visits God’s house a sense of hospitality is modeled or is supposed to unlike in other places (Ro1212-13). Benefits in the house of the Lord are always plentiful, but sometimes they are overlooked and unappreciated.
Psalm 92:12-15
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, 15 proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”
In the story of the prodigal son found in Luke 15 we find a home with a father who is dedicated to making sure that no one in his house lacks anything. Two sons; one who does not appreciates the benefits he has at home, and the other who neglects them. Then we have the staff and other members of the house of the prodigal son who are well taken cared of by the father. It was not until the prodigal son came to his senses and remembered the benefits that were in his father’s house, that he came home (Lk15:17). A new attire is given to those of the family of God just as was given to the son who ran away. Those that overcome will dressed with white garments and the old will be blotted away (rev3:5).
In the story of Job we find him making sacrifices to the Lord incase his children had sin(Jb1:5). Job had three daughters and seven sons and each of the boys took turn each day feasting and celebrating with the girls. In the house of God there is always a revelation or intuition about someone’s need, and he appoints one to intercede for that need.
There is a trademark to the stability of being in the house of the Lord. First of all, when one is fixed in the house of the Lord there is proper growth happening in that person. Luke tells us that we need to grow and move from being babyish to spiritual maturity(He6:1), and this begins in the house of the Lord. Growth does not seize with age, we continue to grow; that is when we are planted in the house of the Lord till we die.
Once we understand the value of the house of the Lord, we will rejoice being there (ps122:1).
8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacitya] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.
5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.
Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,a] and of faith in God,