” Thus the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.” 2 Samuel 6:11
For three months the ark of the Lord was in the house of Obed-edom and the result of God’s presence was blessing in every way.
It wasn’t until David saw how blessed Obed-edom was that his fear of being in God’s presence diminished and his faith caused him to complete the task of returning the ark to the city of David.
That ark represented God’s very presence and God’s victory, peace, protection, blessing, and all that He is.
That is what God wants our homes to be, a place where He dwells and bestows blessing on those who dwell there. It is to be the place of rest and healing, comfort and care. I know that for me there is no place I would rather be than at home surrounded by all the blessings God gives, my family, and the memories of what He has done in the time we have lived there. It is the best place to live the love He has given, and to learn to be more like Him.
Mother Teresa was known for bringing the real sense of home to those who had so little.
One of her favorite stories was about an elderly man in Australia who lived in appalling conditions. She asked if she could clean the house and he argued that he was fine but she convinced him he would be better off in a clean home. He finally agreed and as they cleaned they discovered a beautiful lamp covered with dirt. They asked him if he ever used it and he told them that no one ever came to his house so why would he need to light a lamp? Mother Teresa along with several other sisters said, “If we come to see you, would you light the lamp?” He agreed and for the next two years kept his house clean and ready. He sent a message to Mother Teresa saying, “Tell my friend that the light that she lit in my life is still shining.”
“Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do… but how much love we put into that action.”
“Love begins by taking care of the closest ones – the ones at home.” Mother Teresa
