Following Him...the place of glory.

"I will make the place of My feet glorious" Isaiah 60:13

Following His feet, the place of glory. Wherever His feet lead me, still I will follow. He will make the place of His feet glorious...His presence in our lives guides us and His presence is ..a commentary I recently read tells us that this speaks of "the ark under the mercy seat, over which were the cherubim, and between which Jehovah dwelt, hence called his footstool".

In 1 Chronicles 28:2 we read of David's heart "to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God and he had made preparations to build it"....and in 1 Chronicles 17:4,10 we read that the LORD tells David that David will not build Him a house to dwell in...but that the LORD will build David a house! God's plans for David were far beyond what his eyes could see and God did see the desires of his heart. This was a house that God would build and God wanted David to see this eternal perspective God had...that it was not all about David's plans as it was indeed beautiful that his heart was to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem and bring worship of the nation together again...but it was all about God's plans...and God's work...and God's way....and the privilege David would have to be in the middle of it all.

"And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go and be with your fathers, that I WILL set up your seed after you; I WILL establish your sons; and I WILL establish his kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I WILL establish his throne forever. I WILL be his Father, and He will be my son...I WILL establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever." ! Chronicles 17:11-14.

Ah! There shall be no end upon the Throne of David...the House of David will be established 'according to all these words' through a child..."unto us a child is born a son is given!".....Through the line of David a house would be built, God promised David and Israel that the Messiah would come through his lineage..through the tribe of Judah...and be established forever.

It is wonderful to desire 'to do' for God....but God's ways are always higher. David did not get bitter, and have an inner attitude that says 'why should I serve?' then when God said no to David's way.....but David embraced and accepted God's will and way...and God's answer to him in the moment, "no" . God was saying "this is not for you David, to build be a house with hands, there is something more for you." And "yes" you will build me a house but this house will be eternal. We all must believe He is wiser and when a door shuts....can we too believe?

David would have settled for much less, as glorious as he thought his plan was, if God would of allowed him to be led by the desires of his heart and work for the Lord as he had planned. God's plans are so big. Anything He may be saying no to us about...He says..."remember my kingdom...an inheritance you have been given that is incorruptible and never fading and it is for all eternity and your name is on it". "You are mine and whatever part I let you have in all I do...I did it. Accept all my answers as part of my perfect plan and put my answers in context with the advancement of My kingdom and the Kingdom that is coming...the Throne that has been established...My plans come with Heaven's perspective"!

How easy, how often, we can find ourselves undone and pouting...and this is an inner attitude of our heart that puts our self on the throne of our heart. We think we have something better. We step into God's place and dethrone Him...and we place ourselves on the thrones where God deserves to be. Do we believe that His ways are higher and wiser...and His plans so very good? Do we believe in Him for all we are entrusting Him with...do we believe Him for the desires He has given us...Do we believe in Him...and the question He asks us all, "Believe ye that I am able to do this?" Matthew 9:28. Do we too say, "Yes Lord, I believe"? We have a God who delights in doing all that appears impossible...He delights in giving us the desires of our hearts according to His Word, His will and His way. His will, His way, by faith.

God told David that he will not build a house for His name...a place where God would be contained. ….for the Church, God's people, is the place where the Lord dwells and where He gives us His presence through Christ. Like the mercy seat and ark in the Old Testament...we today as Believers are the temples in which His presence dwells. We are the "seat of His rest and residence", where He takes His walks, and where His footsteps of love and grace are seen. Where His works and mighty acts are displayed...where others observe His glory lived through us. Where we are His hands and His feet. Where His beauty is displayed through His people.

I must keep on in prayer...for our God has always done the miraculous through His people. We were made to contain God...it is such a privilege to carry Jesus in this world....while always being aware of His words, "Without Me you can do nothing."

Such resplendent glory....to carry the Lord in our hearts and in our lives. I pray constantly for the Lord to touch me with 'the fire of Thine altar', to be 'up and doing with all confidence in Him alone'. He promises in His Word that "I WILL make the place of My feet glorious". His presence in our lives is glorious, His feet lead us where His feet have led so many. He was with all the faithful saints who have gone Home before us. Our Jehovah Shammah - "the LORD is THERE!" and He is with us today...wherever He takes us is glorious...because it is the place of His feet.

He was THERE with so many....through the many prayers of his people and through the leading of His Word. He was there with Joseph in Egypt, through the many victories of Moses, Joshua and Caleb. He was THERE is the deliverance and restoration of David...and He was THERE with Elijah through his miracle at Mt Carmel and through displaying Gods miraculous workings through the widow and her son....in the unfolding of the miraculous birth of Jesus...and through the many prophecies all pointing to His life and death and resurrection...and His ascension...He was THERE through the prayers at Pentecost and in the birth of the Church...in the lives of the apostles and with the early Christians...in the lives of these saints and even in the deaths of the martyrs...His purposes in each life that was lived for Him to continue to advance His kingdom...for each purpose He had, in every detail of every life, for many generations to come...He was THER and He is THERE with us today.

As we follow Christ....He will make the place of His feet glorious! Jesus left us an example to follow...He came to do the will of His Father as we too seen in the heart of David. A surrender to the Father's will...and as we follow in His steps our only responsibility is to believe Him and His Word...as we live for Him, He will live for us.

May we follow Christ steps andlearn from His example...as we see our lives ordained to come into this world in this 'age of grace' to do our Father's will, to abide in the Word and hide it in our hearts as temptations come and to go to the mountain top of prayer and continue in prayer with God, and to serve mankind - always willing to 'most gladly spend and be spent for other souls'.....and yes, accepting the Cross of suffering where in that place, it is written that even Christ learned obedience by the things which He suffered, such suffering is a part of our Christian life. Through all our suffering that we will endure we have the assurance of Christ's help...He will be THERE..."I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee". And yes, He gave us His example even through the valley of death. We seen His example and the fulfillment of His promises which we too have been given...and we too are promised of the resurrection and victory we have been given over death...as we as Believers have been promised the hope of eternity!

All of our doing, all our suffering and all our enduring, persevering and bearing... all our witnessing, serving and following Christ lies in the presence of God....all our comfort, confidence and care comes from the presence of God in our life....He will make the place of His feet glorious as we follow His steps.

He will indeed make the place of His feet glorious...as we follow the God who is alive and living and who goes with us wherever we go...wherever He takes us. We are His house built in His honor...for His eternal purposes...we are filled with His gracious presence...we are a house of His glory.

The beauty of the Lord is upon His people..."I will glorify the place where I stand", "I will make the place of My feet glorious", "the place of My feet will be full of glory"!

"Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us" Psalm 90:17.....God is beautiful and there is a beauty that radiates from all who know Him. It is from His presence that is within them...it is a beauty that does not fade or become defined because of age, sorrow or sickness...it is a beauty that radiates Christ if He is fully and truly represented in the life of the Believer. It is good to sit at our Saviors feet and to follow in His steps...to receive blessing and strength....and then to go forth...knowing God will walk with us because we have the promise of His divine beauty with us...the place of His feet will be full of glory because we have the life of God living within our soul.

"God's Spirit within us kindling our joy, moving our feet on the path God laid for us. Awakening our spirits, healing all brokenness...God's resplendent glory coming to earth for us. The face of God shining in Christ ….in the way He walked on earth. Offering Himself to wash away our sin, our stain...paying our awful price that we too would rise again. Living humbly...walking as a man...God's resplendent glory in the great I AM." (anonymous)

May His feet lead us each day as we follow Him....the place of His feet is glorious.

Michelle A. Guerra