On Monday evening last Olive and I were invited to dinner with two dear friends who we hadn’t spent time with for some years. To be in their presence was to be in the presence of two spirits which were regal.

They covet the dwelling of the Holy Spirit in their own and other’s lives. Nearly everything we spoke about together was in peace & love. Once I brought up a topic which affected that rest or dwelling. It was the exception that proved the rule of His abiding in our lives. The sense of rest and His presence in our hearts left us all for a short period before I dropped it and peace was restored again.

My godly wife opened up like a flower in the presence of the One she is so at home with and Who was so manifested before us in their conversation.

We are blessed also to know others who so walk and sit with God that His presence is a continual feast for them and those who are with them. One such joyous man suggested that Romans 8 is the most important passage in the Scripture and that we should spend time being in it. The queen of the regal couple who I mentioned above also suggested that the Lectio Divina technique of meditating on a short passage of Scripture is a good one to follow.

When God speaks to us nothing much else matters (Luke 10:42).

Today He spoke to me about dwelling or abiding. He showed me that my emphasis to date has been off a bit. I was considering how I should abide or rest so He could dwell in me. But actually the need is to consider the way in which the Holy Spirit is happy to dwell or abide with us – a subtle but important difference.

To continually dwell with us He needs us to live according to the Spirit (Romans 8:4) and have our minds set on the things of the Spirit (Romans 8:5-8). Christ died to ensure all the righteous requirements are fulfilled for the Holy Spirit to indwell us (Romans 8:4). We need to keep our minds on that and other things that are above (Phil. 4:8, Col. 3:1-3) so that the temples of our bodies (1 Cor. 6:19-20) stay in the fit state that Christ has made them to be in, so He can abide there.

But these things are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:6-16). God has to teach you these things (Hebrews 8:11). Thank God if the light of His presence is so illuminating your inner most being (Matthew 6:22) that you can clearly see the difference between what your heart believes and what your head believes. Our hearts are truer guides to connection with the Holy Spirit than are our heads (Romans 10:9).

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all sat like godly royalty in each other’s and the Holy Spirit’s presence?

That the Holy Spirit can be content and happy to abide in us is part of His promise to us, to the ones who are loved beyond all deserving.