At Home In His Presence

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The Comfort of Home

I’m a homebody. I like home—my pillow, my favorite mug, my books, my people. Home is comfort, safety, and a sense of belonging.

At home, I can take off my shoes, throw my things on the chair, put my feet up on the coffee table, and exhale. There is no expectation, performance, or agenda, well, except when the house needs cleaning. At home, I can just be me.

Home provides a place to enjoy a meal, get a good night’s rest, and recharge before the next day unfolds. Coming home has a way of restoring my peace as I enter through the front door and leave the world behind.

There’s another home—a different dwelling place that’s even better. The exhale we feel when we walk through our own front door is only a glimpse of what God offers when we enter His presence.

“O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell, and the place where your glory abides.” (Psalm 26:8 )

A Better Dwelling Place

In the Lord’s house, we can also take off our shoes, leave the weight of the day and the pressures behind, sit, and breathe. He is waiting for us to draw near, to recognize His presence and just be—no doing. It’s hard to stop doing. We’re a people who get things done—meeting goals, hitting targets, and performing. Even in ministry, we build, organize, and plan. All good stuff, but the Lord reminds us, “Be still and know that I am God.”

The Invitation to be Still

Stillness is not wasted time; it’s a sacred space where we truly come to know God. He invites us to be still. Abba, our Father, is calling us home—a dwelling place, where we can rest and where His love restores us. He is waiting for you and for me to come home. 

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91:1)

Resting in His shadow, a cool place in the heat of the day, a place to pause, a place that is safe from the demands of the world, a home where the love of the Father can renew us.

The Father Who Loves You

If you are, at this point, considering your shortcomings and flaws, and believe you are unworthy to approach the God of the universe, well, you are right; we are not worthy, none of us is worthy. Here’s the good news! He loves you unconditionally. He loves every one of us despite our flaws, past failures, and current mishaps. Why? Because those shortcomings do not define who we are. I want to say that again, our shortcomings, our brokenness, and our sins do not define who we are.

God loves us for three reasons: One, He is Love; two, we are His beloved children; and three, He is a good Father who always loves His children.

“God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in them.” (1 John 4:16)

The God who is love is inviting you, calling you, beckoning you to come and abide with Him. So how do we do that?

Finding Home with the Father

By now, you probably know I’m a practical girl. So here are a few things I do to help get back “home” to my dwelling place with the Father.

1. Find a sacred space. A chair, a corner, or a garden — a place to meet with God regularly.
2. Start your day with quiet. Even five minutes works. You can build over time. Ask the Lord to be with you in the space He’s set aside for the two of you. 
3. Slow your mind. Try breathing exercises or gentle music. If distractions come, don’t be discouraged. Write them down or try again later.
4. Use a sacred word or phrase. For example: Beloved. Here I am, Lord. Abba, I am yours. “You are my refuge and my dwelling place.” Ask the Lord to give you your own word/phrase.
5. Practice. “Practice doesn’t make perfect; it makes permanent.”
6. Return often. Add moments of stillness throughout your day.

Abiding Peace

One final offering: Take time to read about the attributes of God. Who really is God the Father? Oftentimes our view of God is skewed by our earthly experiences. Spend time with Abba and you will be blessed immeasurably. You will find what your heart longs for, and all that He promises. You will find home in His dwelling place.

Additional Resources–Book Suggestions

Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler

Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen 

The Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning 

A Shepherd’s Look at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller