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The BRP Team
Read Psalm 84
For the director of music. According to gittith. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty;
listen to me, God of Jacob.
9 Look on our shield, O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.
10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
12 Lord Almighty,
blessed is the one who trusts in you.
Go Deeper
This psalm, penned by one (or more) of the Sons of Korah, shares an eternal truth with us that is as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago when it was written: There’s nothing quite like the presence of God. The psalmist here describes the importance of being in the house of God. There was a longing and a desire to be inside God’s house. The psalmist would even settle for being outside in the courts! Why? Because that’s where God’s presence could be found. Why would you even want to go anywhere else?
When we read this, it’s easy to think of this solely through the lens of “going to church.” Even though we know it’s incorrect, we think of a physical church building as the place we go to meet with God. That’s where God is. While physically gathering with other believers to worship corporately is extremely important, the truth is we’re able to enter into the presence of God at all times. Because all believers have the Holy Spirit inside of them, we aren’t restricted to merely finding God inside a building. Through prayer, we can enter into the presence of God at any given moment.
A helpful question to ask ourselves as we read Psalm 84 is “Do we take that for granted?” If we’re honest with ourselves, the answer is probably yes. The psalmist says “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.” We hear that. We’ve even sung songs about that. But do we believe that? The psalmist says he “would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” This is a reminder to us to flee from the earthly temptations of treasures and trinkets that have no eternal value. Instead, let’s enter into the presence of God with a posture of humility and gratitude that we get to have access to Him.
Questions
- Why was the tabernacle such an important place to be for the Psalmist?
- Do you take for granted having access to God?
- How can you practically apply today’s reading to your life? What is something in your life that needs to shift?
Keep Digging
Interested in learning more about the Sons of Korah? Check out this article from GotQuestions.org.
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1 thought on “Psalm 84”
What a beautiful truth to know we can be in the presence of God at any moment! Does our deepest satisfaction come from his presence, or do the cares of the world crowd out his still, small voice? I find the more I seek him, he becomes my 1st place to go instead of my last. He becomes more and more precious and living life apart from him is unthinkable. As I navigate this one life he provides a never ending supply of wisdom & strength for the journey. My goal is to walk uprightly in step with my Savior.