March 15

God is a Sanctuary

Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries to which they have gone.’ — Ezek 11:16 BSB

Even when banished from public worship, we are not cut off from the grace that comes through worship. The Lord, who sometimes places His people in situations where they feel like exiles, will Himself be with them and will be to them all that they could have had at home, in the place of their solemn assemblies. Take this to heart, you who are called to wander!

God is a refuge for His people. They find sanctuary with Him from every enemy. He is also their place of worship. He is with them as He was with Jacob when he slept in the open field and awoke to say, “Surely the Lord is in this place.” For them, God will be a sanctuary of peace, like the Holy of Holies, the quiet dwelling of the Eternal. They will be safe from fear of evil.

God Himself, in Christ Jesus, is the sanctuary of mercy. The Ark of the Covenant is the Lord Jesus, and Aaron’s rod, the pot of manna, and the tablets of the law are all in Christ, our sanctuary. In God, we find the shrine of holiness and communion. What more do we need? O Lord, fulfill this promise and always be to us as a little sanctuary!