Dwell

“Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”  2 Cor 12:9

Dwell – We have been “dwelling” on this verse for ten days.  Now we’re at the end.  The entire purpose of weakness is this:  that Jesus may take up residence in me.

My weakness reveals Jesus.  My failures open the door for His abiding. 

There is a wonderful imagery in this word that we just don’t see in English.  The word is episkenoo.  It literally means, “to pitch a tent in”.  I don’t know what kind of a tentmaker Paul was in the physical world, but in the spiritual world, his failure as a tentmaker was the very reason that Jesus could set up a tent in his life. 

If you look at this kind of imagery in the Gospels, you will find the same root word “dwell” in John 1:14 (The Word became flesh and dwelt among us).  It is a direct image drawn from the Old Testament idea of the Tabernacle.  God dwells in the midst of His people, in the tent He has set up and now, God dwells in us, inside the tent He made in the place where we were unable.  I will glory in my weakness because that’s the home of Jesus in me!

Do you realize just how powerful this upside-down reality is?  Jesus is at home where you feel out of place!  When you are sitting in your comfort zone, where you have control of your castle, there’s no room for the tabernacle of God.  God dwells in the midst of need!  And the reason God doesn’t remove that need is because that’s His home.  Jesus resides in those places where I am least comfortable with my life, where I long to straighten things up and clean house.  His glory shines through my inglorious inadequacies. 

The God of Weakness belongs at home in my world all messed up and turned inside out.  If I am going to be the place where He stakes His tent, I will have to deliberately open the doors on my deepest needs and my greatest inadequacies. 

Can you pray with me, “Lord Jesus, here I am just as I am.  Stake your tent in me.”?