DELUXE PAVILION - PART 2

TUESDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2023

Reference: PSALM 27:4-5 The Message (MSG) "I'm asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with Him in His house my whole life long. I'll contemplate His beauty; I'll study at His feet. That's the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, The perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic."

When a man is asking God for one thing, just one thing: To live with Him in His house throughout His entire life, then pay attention to the reason for such request, plus the significant importance. Again, here is how he (David) described God's dwelling presence:

"He made darkness His hiding place (covering); His pavilion (canopy) around Him, The darkness of the waters, the thick clouds of the skies. Out of the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds, Hailstones and coals of fire" (Psalm 18:11-12 AMP).

Although some translations used the English term, His "hiding place", the accurate and proper underlying rendering in biblical Hebrew and Aramaic grammar is "covering." Hiding place comes with the notion or impression of wrapping to conceal for protection. God does not need to hide from anyone for His protection. But the accurate term, His "covering" denotes secret place, which is to keep Himself secret, as in, a mystery.

That's the reason He made darkness His covering, His shelter around Him surrounded by fogs and clouds, and those fogs and clouds are in motion, which is where King David got the idea of pavilion or canopy - a movable habitation. To that effect, verse 12 reads, "At the brightness that was before Him, His thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire." Notice that His thick clouds passed, which is significant and expressive of a moving object such as canopy. So, from the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire. Got it? Hallelujah!

What is the significance of the above explanation in our Christian faith or lives? If you are in Christ Jesus, you need the right mentality shaped by the right words based on Scriptures so you can function in Christ with a bold attitude. Christ is not your hiding place. In fact, Christ is a place of boldness, victory and dominion. So substantially, you are not hiding in Him because you were born into unquestionable boldness, the very day you got born again.

Understand that as you step out for your daily routine or activities with Christ's consciousness - every single day, the enemy and his cohorts are always looking for a hiding place because of your indomitable spirit and bold attitude, bearing in mind that the greater One lives in you (1 John 4:4 KJV). Are you with me? This mentality or perspective should always be expressed in your prayer life, otherwise, you'll keep hiding in His pavilion, while the born again Christians who understand their true character and identity in Christ will continually function with bold attitude, from a relaxed point of view, as well as, enjoy His good pleasure in deluxe form - in the same pavilion.

I understand that David prayed such a prayer but we are now in Christ Jesus, who is our life. We don't hide in His pavilion; we are a city set on a hill for others to see, come to God and glorify Him. Why? We are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can't be hidden (Matthew 5:14 WEB). Why am I teaching this? This is because so many have formed the habit of praying the wrong manner of prayers, and for this reason, it reflects in their attitude, especially when they relate with the world around them. So it's all about the right perspective because there is a boldness that comes with living the life of the Spirit.

Beloved, Christ is our deluxe pavilion; He is our "esoteric pavilion" which is an ever-deepening insight into Him, as revealed in Colossians 3:1-3 (NIV). Why deluxe pavilion? We are called to share in His luxury. We are called to share all that belong to Christ, including His throne. In fact, Luke 22:29 (NLT) reads: "And just as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right." Got it? Our pavilion is Christ! For in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28 NIV).

Hence, Paul tells us in the book of Colossians to set our minds on things above because we glory in our possession of inner, esoteric, secret of His being and of our being in Him and knowing Him, treasured in God Himself. Stay tuned for part 3. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Psalm 17:8; Psalm 31:20; Psalm 32:7; Psalm 91:1-11.

Exuberant Declaration: I dwell in, and function daily from the secret place of God's presence, a divine mystery, wherein are stored up in abundance, all things that pertain to life of luxury, godliness and untold blessings in Christ. For this reason, I bless the Lord, who daily loads me with all the benefits of salvation; the God of my salvation! Hallelujah!