What Happens When God Lives Here

I'm reading in the Old Testament this year and LOVE some of the prayers that King Solomon and his dad, King David prayed.  Reading in 2 Chronicles 6 today as Solomon dedicates the Temple to God and I can see that God did indeed give him incredible wisdom.  And I long for Real Life to inspire as the Temple did, not because of the architecture; the gold and dressed stones or the sheer size of the structure but because of God presence in what we're doing. 

Let me give you some background on what is going on so you get the full-effect.  King David stockpiled massive amounts of dressed stone, lumber, gold, silver and bronze for the construction of the Temple.  Then right before he died he gave massive amounts from his personal wealth to the cause.  Then when Solomon began construction he gave even more and the people of Israel contributed as well.  Think of it like, Fort Knox meets the Taj Mahal.  Yea.  Impressive.  Solomon was building a place for God, The God, to dwell so he knew it had to be the best. And now he is dedicating it to God in the presence of all the people of Israel who have come to see and to worship.

But Solomon didn't just dedicate it to God as His residence on earth, he dedicated the people TO God in this place.  And I think, as incredible a moment as this is, I love Solomon's vision and heart for God more than the pomp and circumstance the day required.  Let me quote the part of Solomon's prayer that I am just digging today so you can see what I mean.

"...And don't forget the foreigner who is not a member of your people Israel but has come from a far country because of your reputation-people are going to be attracted here by your great reputation, your wonderworking power-and who come to pray to this Temple.

Listen from your home in heaven and honor the prayers of the foreigner, So that people all over the world will know who you are and what you're like, And live in reverent obedience before you, just as your own people Israel do, So they'll know that you personally make this Temple that I've built what it is."

In the midst of dedicating this great Temple to God Solomon was looking forward to what this place would mean to people who were NOT Israelites.  The foreigners who would come from great distances because of, "Your reputation."  He knew that people around the world would be attracted to Jerusalem, in part because of the magnificence of the structure, but also because a God that would warrant such a great home must indeed be a GREAT GOD!  He even asks that God "listen" and "honor" the prayers of the foreigners so that, "people all over the world will know who You are and what You're like."  And then, because of God's Greatness they would, "live in reverent obedience" before Him, just like God's chosen people.  

But the last line is my favorite... "so they'll know that YOU PERSONALLY MAKE this Temple that I've built what it is."

It's not the brick and mortar, or the fancy band or the preaching or the nursery or restrooms or even the volunteers and people (sorry) that make a church great so that people from around the world would want to come (if it is then it will result in nothing).  It is the very presence of the God of the Universe.  

God, may people be attracted to Real Life because of YOUR reputation, not ours.  May they come here because of YOUR wonder-working power.  May they know who You are and what You're like and may that knowledge change their lives like it has ours.  May the people of Butler County and the whole world know that You personally make this church what it is.