Casandra Martin

The words from J.W. Thompson and Randy Scruggs beautiful song, “Sanctuary” have been echoing in my head and heart this week.

Sing with me?

“O Lord, prepare me, to be a sanctuary.

Pure and holy, tried and true.

With thanksgiving I’ll be a living sanctuary for You.”

A sanctuary is a holy space. It is a place to meet God and experience His glory, be covered in His grace, and stand in wonder at His holiness. The prayer enfolded in this song is that He will transform my heart into a space fit for His presence.

God longs to inhabit our praise, dwell in our decisions, make His home in our habits, and abide in our actions. I want my heart to be that kind of sanctuary. A place where God’s presence is evident, where His holiness is at home, and where others can see Christ living in me. From the moment we rise from the waters of baptism, the Spirit works in us to transform us into this kind of cross-shaped, resurrection-empowered, peace-permeated, joy-drenched sanctuary for His presence. Every day He is making another small change that brings me into closer alignment with His will, into a deeper understanding of His love, and into a more grace-filled reflection of Jesus.

My Jesus Resolution today is to pray the words of this song. Prepare me. Those can be scary words. What does He need to do in me today so that a fuller measure of His presence, a greater depth of His glory, and a more complete image of His Son can live in me? Am I willing to surrender in order to be pure and holy, tried and true? Thanksgiving opens the doors. Praise lets in His light. Grace sweeps out the cobwebs. Prayer invites God to take up sanctuary in this broken-but-fixed-by-Jesus heart.