Since the devotional, Dwelling Between His Shoulders, explains the choice of the title for this blog, Between His Shoulders, I am making a permanent page that will always be available on on the first page.
DWELLING BETWEEN HIS SHOULDERS
At the end of his life, Moses pronounced God’s blessings over the children of Israel. For the tribe of Benjamin, he declared:
The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him,
Who shelters him all the day long,
And he shall dwell between His shoulders
Deuteronomy 33:12
I am captivated by the relationship to God that Moses describes in His blessing. The image of dwelling between God’s shoulders suggests great intimacy. Could there be anything more desirable that to be favored with dwelling between the shoulders of God?
DWELLING IN HIS LOVE
To dwell intimates more than simply physically existing in a specific place. It suggests a state of being or a way of life. As believers, we need to regularly allow ourselves to take time to dwell in the love of God. It is not an indulgence, but vital, if we want to empower and strengthen our relationship with Him. Love undergirds everything about God. He is love itself. The gospel of John records thirty-one instances of Jesus referring to love on the last night with His disciples and, after His resurrection, He met the disciples for breakfast on the beach and three times, questioned Peter, “Do you love me?”
In 1 John 4:19, the apostle tells us that we love God because He first loved us. If we don’t take time to recognize and dwell in that love, what will happen to our love for Him? Will we become as the church at Ephesus, full of good works, but loveless? If we want to love Him, we must first know His love. It will be His love that generates our love for Him, not the other way around.
THE PAINTING
The notion of dwelling between God’s shoulders is most appealing, transmitting an idea of the intimacy a child might experience snuggled against his mother’s body. The painting reminds us of this invitation with open figures repeating across the work. While gentle and comforting to be nestled and hidden between the shoulders, the strong contrasting hues, bisecting each figure, express the strength of such a position.
ALL BENJAMINS
How do we dwell between His shoulders? The scripture in Deuteronomy does not elaborate. As Moses declared over the beloved tribe of Benjamin, it is a God-given blessing. He willingly offers to carry us. We do not carry Him. We must be humble enough to ask for this blessing and then let Him pick us up and place us between His shoulders. We are all Benjamins. God called the tribe of Benjamin, “the beloved;” and Jesus was called the beloved Son of the Father. In John 17:23, Jesus reassures us that, just as He is, we too are the beloved of the Father.
Let us seek to dwell between His shoulders, safe and secure Benjamins. No matter what is happening around us, we can dwell protected between His shoulders. Let us seek that blessing from Him dwelling with Him as a way of life.