Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Taking time to think about where you live is a pastime many of us have. We worry if our homes are as expensive, beautiful, or happy as our neighbors, friends, and family. That is our concern. God’s is expressed by King David in Psalm 15.

“A Psalm of David. Jehovah, who lives in your tabernacle? Who stays on your holy hill? He who is walking upright and doing what is righteous, who speaks the truth in his heart. He has not spoken disrespectfully. He has not done evil to his neighbor and he has not criticized his neighbor. He has despised with his eyes the one that God has rejected and honors those who respect Jehovah. He has agreed to suffering and does not change his mind. He has cheated no one and does not take a bribe against the innocent. The one who is doing these things will never be moved.” (Ps 15:1-5).

Remember that when these words were written the Temple of Solomon had not been constructed. The presence of Jehovah was thought to inhabit the Tabernacle that had been created during Moses’ time. More specifically, He inhabited the Ark of the Covenant.

Walking upright and being righteous are ways of stating that this person obeys Yahweh. They also speak the truth that they have hidden in their inner most being. Jesus said in John chapter fourteen that He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. They also do not speak disrespectfully. I think this means about God.

There are many kinds of evil that we can do to our neighbors. I’m not just talking about the ones that live next to you. Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan to explain what God meant by loving our neighbors as ourselves. In that story a Jew had been attacked on a road. A Priest and a Levite had both avoided the injured man.

Samaritans were hated by the Jews. Why would one of them stop to help? They understood the law better than the Hebrew officials. Do you ever feel that Christians do not know their Bible as well as they should? I do and that is the reason why I call myself a born-again believer.

The actual place where Yahweh lives is what we call Heaven. It is outside of space and time. God created those after He existed. Remember Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth.” He was already abiding in His home that we call heaven. The heavens are what we see in the sky both during the day and the night.

The one who resides with Jehovah honors those who respect Him and disrespects those who reject Him. Not cheating others or taking bribes are honorable things as well. However, agreeing with suffering seems extreme. Most of us do not want to suffer for Christ even if He suffered for us.

Believing that we will live with our savior and His Father after we die is considered “pie in the sky by and by” according to some. I am sure that they would call me deranged to say that we are there right now and will only realize it when our bodies cease to function. That’s what I call living.

©Copyright 2025 by Charles Kensinger