If I could just come in, I swear I'll leave
Won't take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me”

The moving lyrics of Miranda Lambert’s 2010 hit song “The House that Built Me” gently stroke the memories of our childhood. In the song she seeks renewal by returning to her childhood home where the memories flood back in. The song captures her hope that the memories triggered by the physical house where she grew up would help her find herself. Whether it’s real or metaphorical, we all have those moving memories of the “house” that shaped us into the people we are now.

The idea of being shaped by a house is a Biblical concept. It goes all the way back to God’s promise of the eventual defeat of Satan by Eve’s Son (Genesis 3:15). It was expanded in the promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:2). But it was really brought home in the promise to David recorded in 2 Samuel 7:8-16 & 1 Chronicles 17:7-15. Rather than let David build a house for God – God would build a house for David. But instead of a house of stone it would be a house of people, a living house that would last forever. While the song is richly layered with memory evoking lyrics, it’s nothing compared to the rich layers of God’s promise to David, and by extension to all human beings.

Let’s start peeling back the layers of His promise to David by seeing how God started. Just like the Miranda Lambert song this promise began by pulling up David’s memories of his childhood. His first comment was for Nathan the prophet to remind David of where he started – in the country raising sheep; “I took you from the pasture, from following sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel” (v 8). No matter where David went in life he would always remember his humble beginnings as a little shepherd boy. That memory would remind him of being the youngest son left out in the field with the sheep - where he made a deep connection with God. That was the “house” that built David.

What house built you? Hopefully it was one where you learned humility and protective service like David. Hopefully it was one where you learned to love God and serve Him with all your heart. Because, in the end, all that really matters is whether or not you will love God enough to obey from the heart.

Thankfully, it doesn’t matter whether you came from a big house on a hill, or a poor house on the other side of the tracks, or one where God was dishonored and disobeyed. Regardless of what house built you – God invites you to live in His house. The one built by His Son. There you can be built into a holy temple for the Lord. All are invited, but not all will move in. Will you move into the Lord’s house as one of His faithful children? The invitation remains open even for you now. Won’t you come on in?