Host His Presence

 

For some time now, my husband and I have run a side business where we buy and rent real estate, primarily long-term rentals. When short-term rentals, like Airbnb, became popular, we decided to give it a try. We purchased a countryside farmhouse and had a lot of fun remodeling it. After completing the first half of our farmhouse, we listed our first short-term rental on several major platforms, and it took off really well.

 

Excited by our success, my husband and I decided to expedite the finishing of the other half of the farmhouse so we could list it as well. Just as we were wrapping up, we learned that a young pastoral couple in our area was searching for an apartment. My husband and I felt torn about what to do. "Let's finish the apartment first and figure it out later," he suggested. However, that Sunday after church, he expressed that he strongly felt God pressing upon his heart to offer the apartment to the pastoral couple.

 

From a business standpoint, it didn’t seem like the best move for us, but we knew it was what God was asking us to do. Long story short, we quickly finished the apartment and ended up renting it to our pastoral friends. Remarkably, the month our friends moved in was also the month our profits from the short-term rental began to more than double. We were blown away!

 

I was reminded of the Shunammite woman from the Old Testament, who generously hosted the prophet Elisha in her home. She opened her heart and home to him, and in return, God blessed her household. She did not have any children, and God granted her the gift of a son (2 Kings 4).

 

However, we don’t necessarily have to own real estate to host God. I am convinced it is even more important to host Him in our hearts. Hosting the Holy Spirit is much like hosting guests in your home; you set everything aside and give Him your undivided attention. This means that in a world where there is never enough time, and it seems so inconvenient, we make time to spend with the Holy Spirit. Time to study God's Word and engage in devotion and prayer. God grants a special blessing to those who routinely host His presence in their hearts and minds out of reverence and obedience as they meditate on His words and laws.

I am reminded of another Old Testament story where a man named Obed-Edom hosted the Ark of the Covenant in his home for a season. The Ark of the Covenant represents God’s Word. The Bible says, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him because of the Ark of God” (2 Samuel 6:1).