Psalm 114

I loved the way this psalm opened: “When Israel came out of Egypt, Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.” (vs 1-2) Sanctuary means “a place of refuge or safety,” and so it was astonishing to see it in this context. I mean, I know God is our sanctuary, but… God has a sanctuary?

In the Hebrew, the word translated sanctuary means “sacredness, separateness, holiness.” In a world of heathen nations, Israel was set apart to be God’s place of refuge. They were supposed to be people who would get to know Him, learn what He is really like, and tell others what they had learned. The way God was going to help them accomplish this goal was by dwelling with them—literally journeying with them through the desert.

It’s thousands of years later, and God is still looking for places of safety among His children. He is still longing for sanctuary. He is forever looking for a dwelling place.

And one of the wonderful things about God is that He doesn’t prefer to dwell in houses of brick or wood or straw. He prefers to dwell in His people. As Jesus said during His final prayer for the disciples: “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” (Jn 17:20-21)

God is a sanctuary for us, and it’s incredible to think that in this world of turmoil, we can be a sanctuary for Him. May His reputation find safe harbor in our hearts, in our words, and in our actions!