I have a patio, Karen has a gazebo, Verna has a deck, God has a pavilion. Being there is not quite the same as being in one’s house, but they signify beauty, food, friendship, safety—home.

Imagine how nightmarish it would be to be attacked by a bear on one’s patio. Imagine a soldier son returning from war who walks right up to the deck and drops dead. Imagine being snake bit on one’s own gazebo. Imagine Satan defeating you in God’s pavilion.

The first three might possibly happen, but not number four. Psalm 27:5 says “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion…” Another note from Granddad’s Bible, he wrote by Ps. 31:20 “…thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.” He has underlined 18:19 “…He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.”

In Granddad’s fashion, he has a lesson to be learned in this glory/hallelujah sermon. He writes “Ester 4:11” (as spelled); there he has written “his pavilion.” This is Esther telling of the danger of entering the king’s inner court (pavilion) without having been invited. Well, thank God, we have been invited!

But like Esther we come into the King’s presence after having put on our “royal apparel.” It took Esther several months of grooming by the best beauty stylists of her day to prepare for her appearance before the king.

BUT – For us, just a moment – a grand moment in which we decide to accept Christ’s blood as our “royal apparel” by which we can stand before the King! Imagine being in His pavilion, an entryway to our eternal home.

Lyrics to Hallelujah Side “For I’m safe in God’s pavilion, happy in His love and grace, And I’m living on the hallelujah side! Oh, glory be to Jesus, let the hallelujahs roll…” (Hallelujah Side, Johnson Oatman, Jr. circa 1898)

A re-blog from three or four years ago. My sister, Verna, has crossed God’s pavilion and lives with him in the Hallelujah Side, with Jesus in Heaven. She has been there two years now. Her victory.