DCLM Daily Manna 2025: DCLM Daily Manna 24 October 2025: Building a Habitation for God
Text: Psalm 132:4-10 (KJV)
I will not give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,
5 Until I find a place for the Lord,
A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
We found it in the fields of the woods.
7 Let us go into His tabernacle;
Let us worship at His footstool.
8 Arise, O Lord, to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.
9 Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness,
And let Your saints shout for joy.
10 For Your servant David’s sake,
Do not turn away the face of Your Anointed.
KEY VERSE: “I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, Until I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.” — (Psalm 132:4-5)
An architectural magazine once reported the amazing story of members of a Presbyterian church in Iowa, United States, who constructed a new church building out of a single large rock. Stone was scarce, and while looking for a possible quarry, their attention was drawn to this huge boulder that stood in the middle of a plain about eight miles from the town. This mass of rock was like an island amid a vast sea. About eight feet of it projected above ground. The work of excavating this gigantic boulder was at once begun. When exposed to view, it was found to be twenty-eight feet high, thirty feet long, and twenty feet wide. On this monolith, the workmen began their labour with drill, hammer, and dynamite, and the enormous rock was converted into building stones, which were removed from the town and built into a beautiful church.
When David became king, he built a grand palace for himself but felt troubled that the Ark of the Covenant was still in a tent. This led him to lose sleep until he decided to correct this situation. When he asked God to remember his afflictions, he was actually asking to be reminded of his distress over the ark’s placement. He made a vow not to live comfortably in his palace until he built a temple for the ark. This contrasts with the prophet who criticised the Israelites for living lavish lives while neglecting God’s house. David’s actions show his dedication to honouring God and ensuring that the symbol of His presence among His people was appropriately housed.
From the life of David, we learn that we must live so close to God that we become restless until His will is accomplished through us. We should not be comfortable living in our beautiful houses when the church of God is in shambles. Besides, God wants to dwell in us as His actual temples. The sinful world about us is our quarry. With the hammer of God’s word, the dynamite of the Holy Spirit, and earnest human hearts, we can convert the stony nature around us into beautiful building stones for the temple of God.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
The believer’s heart is God’s most cherished temple of habitation.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Jeremiah 7–9
Daily Manna 24 October 2025
