He Chooses the Place for Worship [Deuteronomy 12]

⁴"You shall not act like this toward the LORD your God.  ⁵"But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come. ⁶"There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. ⁷"There also you and your households shall eat before the LORD your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings in which the LORD your God has blessed you. ⁸"You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes; ⁹for you have not as yet come to the resting place and the inheritance which the LORD your God is giving you. ¹⁰"When you cross the Jordan and live in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies around you so that you live in security, ¹¹then it shall come about that the place in which the LORD your God will choose for His name to dwell, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution of your hand, and all your choice votive offerings which you will vow to the LORD.

As the people were hearing these instructions they did not know that God would choose the city of Jerusalem as the place His name would dwell, the place to come to seek Him and to worship Him.  But He wanted them to know that He was preparing that city and that it was to deter them from falling into the patterns and religious activities of the former residents.  To be separate, to be set apart from all others was God's mandate.  To seek Him in a place that is set apart from what the world offers, a place that is holy, not to be confused with that that is other than God.

Father, we praise You that You have that place for us in Jesus.  You have made us holy and set apart.  You have chosen to send Your Spirit to indwell us.  It is from there that You desire for us to seek You and worship You.  Corporate worship happens where two or three are gathered in Your name,  because You promise to be there.  We are the place Your name dwells because of Jesus.  Thank You for this privilege of worshiping You from our heart.