May 16

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The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. 2 Samuel 6:11

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever… John 14:17

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🔊 The ark is the symbol of God’s holy Presence. It was a fearful and a wonderful thing to enter that Presence, and only the High Priest could do it. Obed-Edom never saw the ark, because it was always covered when being transported. It was placed in his house, and he must have trembled in the first days and nights after it was placed there. But then he would have noticed that the atmosphere of his home had changed. There were fewer arguments, no tension. The peace of God must have filled every room and every heart. Then there would have been bumper harvests, and the vines would have given sweeter, tastier grapes. And then one day, David appeared, to take the ark to his house! How they must have thanked God that they had been blessed with the Presence of God in that form for those 3 months, and how they must have ached with regret that it had to leave them. But we have a far greater promise: God’s Presence with us, and not just to visit, but to stay for ever. What blessings there are that flow from God, but among them all there is none greater than to have Him. Obed-Edom only tasted, but we have the real thing! Obed-Edom had to wave goodbye to the blessed One, but we have that life-giving, transforming Presence for ever.