“I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb” (Rev 21:22-23).

A few days ago on Facebook, a friend posted a picture of a house for sale saying she had always wanted to own this house—a beautiful home, excellent location, lovely features. She checked with her husband who said that buying it was not a possibility—something about having 5 kids in college and the house being over $2 million. But she encouraged someone else to buy it, so she could go over and visit, just to be in the house and enjoy it. Lots of women chimed in with suggestions of how to make that happen, everything from pooling their money to own it together, to seeing if it would work to put it on GoFundMe. It was all obviously in good fun, but it got me thinking.

We will be able to live in a fabulous mansion someday in a beautiful city, and it won’t cost us a penny. John’s description of Jerusalem is glorious, and that’s where our future home is. But then I realized that I didn’t have to wait: Jesus said, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (Jn 14:23).

There’s a very real sense in which our future home is our present home. The Lord God, creator of the universe, has come to dwell within us! That’s a staggering truth, but I seldom give it much thought. I get that way about my house sometimes. I am so used to it that I don’t notice little things that may need fixing. I go about living my life, and my house is just there. That is, until I know that company’s coming. Suddenly I notice everything, especially the things that need cleaning or fixing. I see my whole house with new eyes—with the eyes of someone who might be entering my home for the first time. And then I get to work.

How wonderful it would be to live out our lives always with that immediate awareness that the Lord shares his home with us through the power of the Holy Spirit. And what do we have to do to have the Lord come and live with us? We have to love him. That’s it. Because if we love Jesus, we will keep his word.  As St. Augustine said, “Love God, and do what you will.” Because if we truly love him, we will want what he wants, and he will come and dwell with us.

PRAYER: Jesus, I do love you. I am sorry for all the times I forget that you are with me. Call me back when I start to think that my own will and desires are more important than knowing and obeying your will. Keep my eyes fixed on you, knowing that your will is for my good and my happiness. Give me an awareness of your life within me—the sure knowledge that I already dwell in a beautiful house in a glorious kingdom. This is where I cry out to God and want to give all of myself anew!