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"I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:6b).
What do you look forward to? I asked this question to our eighth-grade students this past week on our trip to Chicago. Their responses were varied, but all, without hesitation, had something to add. They said things like summer, high school, cross country, and swim team. Others were thinking about the current destination, Chicago, and responded with Millennium Park, Skydeck, and the Cubs game. They were, and are, looking forward to things in life.
If I asked you, “What do you look forward to?” — what would you say? Take a moment and reflect on that before you step into the next paragraph.
Maybe your thoughts had a similar thread to the eighth-grade students: summer and vacation and ball games. Maybe you thought about something completely different. Regardless of what you pictured, there is always something to look forward to in life. It could be as simple as a quiet evening at home with no tasks to accomplish other than reading a good book with a cup of tea. It could be something as complex as a promotion and new responsibilities at work. As we ponder the question, “What do you look forward to?” reread the last phrase of this psalm: “and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” In these simple words, where does God, through David, draw our gaze?
It certainly pleases our Creator when we look forward to the good things that He has given us. Our body and soul, our clothing, food, drink, and family. In the explanation to the first article of the Apostles Creed in Luther’s Small Catechism, we acknowledge that “He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.” We should certainly look forward to the things that He provides us in this season of life. No matter how exciting or mundane the provision, it is from Him, and we should give thanks for all things and in all circumstances.
In this phrase, “and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever,” our gaze is drawn further into the future. While we look forward to His good gifts here in this life, ultimately we look forward to something even greater — to His return in glory. On the last day, when at the trumpet’s sound Christ returns, we and all believers across time and space will step into an eternity in the presence of God. The separation of our sinful nature will exist no more, and we will live with God forever.
In the closing words of this psalm, God, through David, draws our gaze to Himself. Desiring that we walk in eager anticipation of His return, looking forward to that day when the dwelling place of God will be with man for all of eternity. What do you look forward to?
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