What is Sanctuary?

I walked down the dark aisle to sit beside her.

The room primarily dark, barely lit by the last of the natural daylight struggling through the stained glass. We sat silent, both praying.

She struggled. My presence with her to help bare the load.

This was our place. An episcopal church just a few blocks from campus, which often left their doors open.

It became for us a place of refuge, peace, escape…..a place to meet with the Lord.
It was our sanctuary.

What do you think of when you hear the word sanctuary?
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Dictionary.com defines sanctuary as a sacred or holy place; any place of refuge; asylum.

Scripture talks about sanctuary often as the place where the Lord dwells:

“You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance – the place, O Lord, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established.” Ex 15:17

Later, “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” Ex 25:8

There is more that we’ll dive into around sanctuary and the Lord in the next couple of blogs. However, for now, let’s focus on how the sanctuary is a holy place of refuge where the Lord dwells.

A holy place
Of refuge
Where the Lord dwells.
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Powerful, isn’t it?

Could this be your home? Could your home be a holy place of refuge where the Lord dwells?

Here’s another definition from Dictionary.com: a tract of land where birds and wildlife, especially those hunted for sport, can breed and take refuge in safety from hunters.

A wildlife sanctuary. A place of refuge for every animal who dwells there. A haven. A shelter of protection. A hiding place. A place set apart.

What if your home could be a sanctuary?
A holy place set apart where the Lord dwells.
A refuge, haven, and shelter of protection from the pressures, cares, worries, and stresses of the world.
A place of respite.

That would be a place where I would want to live. How about you?

This is a mindset shift. Is your home simply a place where you lay your head? A place from where you come and go? Or is it something more?

What is one way you could make your home more of a sanctuary today?
Please share your thoughts in the comments.

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