King Solomon asked a similar question in 2 Chronicles 6:18: But will God indeed dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built.

The house that Solomon spoke of here was no ordinary house--it was the very temple of God. And it put what you see on MTV Cribs to shame. Words like "ornate," "stunning," "intricate," and "more magnificent than anything you've ever seen" might be used when describing this "crib." Its dimensions were exact, and its materials were exquisite. It was done with excellence (which IS the standard for things involving the Maker of earth and heaven). Some of the materials included were PURE GOLD, precious stones and the finest linens. Solomon and his men made MANY other things to endow the temple as well (too many to list here), and nearly all of these were made of pure gold. Needless to say, this was one sick "crib."

When the temple was finally built, after a LOT of hard work and a lot of tedious details (things done with excellence always take a LOT of hard work and dedication), Solomon and his men gathered with all the priests and Levites to dedicate the temple to God. They lifted up ONE voice in praise to God (they were unified), and the glory and presence of God filled the temple so much that no one was able to stand. Then Solomon lifted up a prayer of dedication, and thus we arrive at verse 18 - "But will God indeed dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built."

Solomon knew whose presence filled the temple he had just poured his blood, sweat and tears into. It was the One. The One whom all the cosmos cannot begin to contain. The God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. The One whom his father David had loved so dearly, and by Him conquered kingdoms and slew giants. It was Jehovah. The One who holds the universe in the palms of His mighty hands--who spoke into nothing and it came to be. Solomon was in the presence of the Eternal, and the Eternal graciously (key word) chose to inhabit the temple which he had built.

There was another time in history (celebrated annually) when God chose to grace us with His presence. The temple He chose this time wasn't so elaborate and it wasn't so stunning. The teenage virgin Mary gave birth, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and there He was--wrapped in a temple of feeble and broken flesh--the One. The ETERNAL One. He came full of grace and truth, and by the cross (the temple viel was torn) and His ressurection, He granted us peace with God. He redeemed our souls from sin and hell, and accordingly chose to grace our poor and fragile bodies with HIS eternal precence and glory. We have become HIS temple. Did you hear me believer? YOU are HIS temple! HIS temple!! (1 Cor 3:16, 1 Cor 6:19). The Maker of earth and heaven LIVES IN YOU! O Miracle of miralcles, that the King of kings would make His abode in the poorest of the poor and the worst of the wicked! That He would DWELL in the very heart that once scorned Him, that once whored itself to lifeless and worthless gods. O may it fill us with joy and awe today and may we with Solomon humbly bow and say, "But will God indeed dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house...." May we forever praise God that the house once destined for destruction has become an Eden of endless delights--a place where we might pursue intimacy with the God of Solomon and bask in His glorious and indescribable presence.

Notice the humility of Solomon in this verse. He did not boast in ANY of the hard, tedious work he had done in building the temple, but humbly said, "Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built." O that we all will ALWAYS retain a child-like wonder at this concept of "God in me?"--always think it's too much, always pick up our jaws after thinking about it, always struggle to believe it (if you don't struggle to believe something, is it really worth believing?), always make decisions in light of it, always give the highest respect to other people because of it, always filled with joy discovering it, always HUMBLED by it, and always and eternally grateful that Holy God, whom the heavens and the highest heavens dare not contain, would inhabit broken-me.

Lord help us with our unbelief. The concept of You living in us is a hard one, but I pray You would help us to realize it more and more everyday. Will God indeed dwell with mankind on the earth? That is a just question, for it does seem to be impossible, but with You NOTHING is impossible! God in ME? O Father please help us to accept this as a chilld - to walk in humility knowing that NO good thing dwells in us save the presence of You. But may we also hold our heads high; not in pride, but in the knowledge that ALL we will ever need we ALREADY HAVE in You, and we are the few and the privileged carriers of God's holy and all-powerful presence in this world. God in me!