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HOW TO DEDICATE YOUR HOME TO GOD (Psalm 30)

If you have ever been to the dedication of some government facility, corporate office, or community building, you know that they are typically accompanied by a great deal of ceremony, pomp, and circumstance. It is a big deal, a time to celebrate.

In Psalm 30, we come to the dedication of a house — but not just any house. It is the king’s house; David’s own private residence.

We remember that David desired so much to build a house for the Lord, but God would not let him do that. Instead, David gathered all of the materials, but the job itself was left for his son Solomon to oversee many years later.

But God said to David, “I am going to build your house.” He was referring to more than just the physical structure, but also his family and the future of Israel.

In Psalm 30, David had finally completed the construction of his own home. In your Bible, just above the first verse, there is an inscription that reads, “A psalm and song at the dedication of the house of David.”

This is a deeply personal psalm for David, but I want to challenge you to make it personal in your own life. Is your family dedicated to God? How about your home?

Sometimes we get this idea that when we walk into church, we are on holy ground. In fact, all ground is holy ground for the Christian. We go to a church house to be with God’s people and exhort one another, not to get into His presence. You can be in the presence of God in your own home, and we all should be living every day that way. No one is a greater Christian than what he is in the privacy of his own home.

We are going to cover Psalm 30 in three parts because there are three basic things David did here that are applicable to us.

1. He pondered his past.

“I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.” - Psalm 30:1-7

Memory is a wonderful gift from God to us, and it is a good way to keep your heart stirred up and sensitive to Him. That is what the psalmist did here, going back in his mind and meditating on the goodness, faithfulness, and holiness of God. While sitting in the palace, he recalled the times he could have ended up in the pit. He was well aware of where he could have been or should have been except for the grace of God. Instead, he was in his own house in safety.

Ponder the goodness of God in your life, and talk about it with your family. When you sit together around the dinner table (there’s a novel idea in itself), don’t just talk about sports, politics, or work. Reflect on the blessings of the Lord. Rehearse with your children how God has met the needs of your family. There may be things they don’t even know about. It is good for the next generation to hear that in this generation, God has seen us through. It will increase their faith.

If you want to sanctify your home, set it aside and dedicate it to God, take time to “remember his holiness” as verse 4 declares. It is not just the things He has done for us, but also who He is that we should remember. It is not about us; it is all about Him.

2. He prayed.

“I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication. What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth? Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper.” - Psalm 30:8-10

Do you have a praying family? Many years ago someone coined the phrase “family altar.” It means a time set aside for a family to get together to read the Bible, pray, and worship. That practice has mostly fallen by the wayside. It is common today to hear of family movie night or any of a dozen other events. But when was the last time your family held hands and prayed together?

Pondering is about talking to each other, but prayer is about talking to God. You never really know the hearts of other people until you hear them pray. It is the most intimate conversation there is. A person will bare his or her soul in prayer.

Let me challenge you to pray with your family and for your family. When Jesus cleansed the temple, He called it “a house of prayer.” God has always wanted prayer in His house.

We do not have to go to a temple to meet with God; in fact, we are the temple and can meet Him wherever we are. With that in mind, ask yourself if your house is a house of prayer and if your family is a family of prayer.

3. He praised God.

“Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.” - Psalm 30:11-12

Have you noticed all of the turning points in this psalm? It was God who turned David from the pit to the palace, from death to life, from anger to favor, from weeping to joy, and finally from mourning to dancing.

Make your house a house of praise. God inhabits the praises of His people, and nothing brings you more consciously into His presence than praise does. That is why Psalm 100:4 proclaims, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

To get the joy of the Lord into your home, stop grumbling and start being grateful. Stop fussing or fighting, and start talking about the glory of God. It is a choice, not just a feeling, which is why the psalm ends with, “I will give thanks unto thee for ever.”

If you do these three things as David did, you will surely be able to dedicate your house and your family to the Lord. Begin today to dedicate your household to God.