Now as his son I am about to build a temple in the name of the Lord my God.
2 Chronicles 2:3

Solomon, the son of King David wanted to build a temple for the Lord. A great temple, because his God was bigger than all other gods. A temple for the whole people in which the name of the Lord is called and sacrificed every morning and evening and on all holidays and Sabbaths. He knows, a stone-built house cannot grasp the Lord who made heaven and earth. But he still wants to create a place where the Lord is worshiped.
Apparently all the people have such a need to worship their god and bring Him sacrifices. They pray for success, forgiveness and salvation. So all religions and also the materialistic West have their altars and gods.
We Christians love our God. That is why we want Him to be as close as possible. What good is a temple in Jerusalem? The journey is far, one might perhaps once or twice in a lifetime travel there. And if you then might get an audience with God? Many, many people would be there. Therefore God chose a different temple: Our heart.
There we can build a temple for Him. We should keep it clean and only dedicate it to the Lord. We are to worship there, in the morning and evening, day and night. We are there to bring our sacrifice – all that binds us and prevents us from believing and following Him, and from what makes us unclean. Everything that is too precious for us and represents a danger for us belongs there as a victim. The temple should be big, bigger than anything, what we do otherwise.
God has promised to live in this temple. He is always close to His children. He can slowly transform them into His image. He can lead you and guide you. He can give you joy and peace. He may need His children in this world as His messengers. And He hears the prayers of all of His children, even the smallest and quitest. Then He is incomparable close to us, even closer than the air that we breathe. He wants to be our God and we are to be His people.
In this heart – temple also other people are allowed to live. The people we love, we may entrust to the Lord again and again. He wants to fill us with mercy and compassion, with wisdom and patience for our fellow human beings. So we become valuable employees for God who hand out His grace and pray for their loved ones. He hears our prayers!

Thank You Heavenly Father, You live in my heart! I want to dedicate it to You and keep it clean and pure. Fill it with Your gifts, with patience, mercy and grace. Yes, I want to be Yours, You shall be my God!

Bible reading today: Luke 22, 31-46