A Foretaste Of Heaven
Monday, July 8
Psalm 133:1-3 (NKJV)
“A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing— Life forevermore.”
Devotion
Few things are as precious as believers living together in unity. A great church is marked by sweet fellowship and unity in Christ, which is both good and pleasant in God's sight. He approves of unity.
But where does this beautiful unity come from? It doesn't originate in the world. It's like the precious oil poured on Aaron's head, symbolizing God's blessing coming from above. The psalmist tells us that God is the source of this unity—it is a gift of His grace.
The special anointing oil used for priests, including Aaron, signifies the unique, sacred fellowship among Christians, united around Christ. Aaron's anointing points to Jesus, our Great High Priest and the promised Messiah.
In Psalm 133, the oil runs from Aaron's head to his beard and down to the collar of his robe. This robe, bearing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, signifies the unity of all believers, grafted into God's family. The blessing of Christian unity flows from Jesus, the Head, to the whole body of Christ, fulfilling Jesus' prayer in John 17:20-21.
The anointing oil, a symbol of the Holy Spirit, represents the sweet, Spirit-anointed fellowship in the church—a foretaste of Heaven. "For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore" (Psalm 133:3). The fellowship we experience now is only a glimpse of the perfect fellowship to come in Heaven. As dew gives life to vegetation, God's blessing gives life, lasting forever. Living together in unity is a foretaste of Heaven!
Today’s Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
I confess I have often magnified secondary doctrinal differences and unjustly used them to see myself as superior to brothers and sisters. Help me learn to distinguish between real issues of sin and holiness that call for separation from doctrinal quibbles and disputes over minor matters. Help me not drive others away but to be a peacemaker, working with the Holy Spirit to bring oil on troubled waters. Let us do more than live together in harmony, let me work with my brothers and sisters in Jesus in harmony and such love that the world knows we are Your disciples by our love for one another. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Apply It Today
Did you know that Scripture describes certain spiritual truths related to being a follower of Jesus as being of “first importance” and some other things as “disputable matters”? (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Acts 15:19-20, Romans 14:1) Apply yourself to learn the difference so that you can stand on truth when others don’t – when necessary. Regarding disputable matters, let’s study the Bible, pray for wisdom, bear with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgive each other; as the Lord has forgiven us.
Resources
- Watch the short clip, “You Are Valued In God's Eyes”, and be inspired to not only value yourself but also value those in your crew.
- Read Psalm 23, paying particular attention to the fact that God anoints you and ask yourself what you need to do to receive the full anointing of your shepherd.