Tag: Psalm 84

Excited about Church

Old Testament: Micah 5

Poetry: Psalm 84 (day 2)

New Testament: Luke 18:9-14

How excited are you about going to church?  You might think church is boring, the singing doesn’t inspire you, the sermon puts you to sleep, the building is nothing to write home about, etc.  If you think like this, you are probably also thinking, “Why even bother going to church when there are so many more exciting things I could be doing?”

If you think church is bad now, just imagine how bad it was when they used a tent as a church (called the Tabernacle), and slaughtered animals to cover sins.  How well would you have liked going to church then?!  (Can you imagine the smell?)

Our reading today is from Psalm 84, which starts out, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!”  The writer wasn’t talking about the throne room of God in heaven, he was talking about the Tabernacle (tent) where he went to worship God.

Psalm 84 continues, “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”

The writer wasn’t getting excited about visiting a tent, he was getting excited about being able to be in the presence of God.  He was yearning, fainting, crying out to be near God.

Verse 4 goes on to say, “Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.”

I’m guessing the writer is referring to the singers whose job was to stay at church and sing praises to God all day long. He was envious they didn’t even have to leave there to go to work (they were at work) – they were so lucky!  They got to be near God all the time.

Verse 10 says, “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.”

You may dread going to church.  The writer of Psalm 84 dreaded having to leave church.  He’d rather spend one day at church than almost 3 years anywhere else.  He’d rather be a doorstop at church than party all the time with his wicked friends.

Why did the author crave going to church so much?  The answer is: because he loved God, and he associated being at church with being in God’s presence – so he couldn’t get enough of it.  

Today, as a result of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we have far greater access to God than the people in the Old Testament (including the writer of Psalm 84) had.  We’re told in Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

God didn’t just send Jesus to die for our sins, God also wants to adopt us as His children.  And there’s an inheritance involved – the Kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “… No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”

I don’t know about you, but I have a pretty vivid imagination, and can imagine some amazing things.  But, according to this verse, I can’t imagine how great the Kingdom will be.  Start with no more death or mourning or crying or pain, add in a little euphoria in the presence of God forever, and you’re just scratching the surface for what God has prepared for those who love him.

I want that!

God wants to adopt us as His children, but there’s a catch.  He will only adopt us if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savor, are baptized, and live our lives for Him.  Only then will we get to live with Him forever.

Maybe, our level of excitement in going to church is related to our level of excitement for God.  Once we recognize how much God has already done for us, and what He has planned for those who love him, we’ll get more excited about God.  And once we do, I suspect we’ll get more excited about going to church too. 

-Steve Mattison

Reflection Questions

  1. What are your thoughts and feelings right now about going to church? Where do you think they come from?
  2. How excited for God are you? What has He done for you already? What do you know about – and what can you imagine – about being in the Kingdom of God? Have you already been adopted into God’s family? Are there steps you need to do in this adoption process?
  3. Is there anything about your perception and understanding about going to church that you think God wants you to change?
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Your Longing

Old Testament: Malachi 4

Poetry: Psalm 84

New Testament: Luke 18:1-8

Close your eyes with me and replay in your mind the best day of your life so far. Try to recall all the vivid details – the sights, sounds, and smells, the intense feelings! (Then open your eyes so you can continue reading!)

Want to hear about one of the best days of my life? There are obvious ones not to be downplayed, such as my wedding day and holding each of my children outside the womb for the first time, but one of the most special days of my life was the day I swam with the manatees. 

Perhaps it sounds silly to you, but I adore manatees. I have spent copious amounts of time gazing at them through the massive glass aquariums at our two local zoos, both of which have manatee rehabilitation centers. So you can imagine my excitement a few years ago when my husband agreed that on our trip to Florida that year, we could splurge on an excursion to swim with the manatees in the Crystal River! I’ll never forget floating on the water while observing my beloved sea cows in a submerged, restful state ten feet away, surfacing every few minutes for air. It was an incredible experience to watch the momma manatee with her calf coasting through the shallow river beside us, the small herds interacting peacefully just under the surface, the chubby mermaids living their best (slow) life soaking in the warmth of the underwater spring. The tranquil experience was very healing for me, as one prone to anxiety who had to overcome many anxious thoughts to even pursue this swim-with-manatees dream. My mind still wanders in wishes… Why can’t life just be as peaceful for us as it is for our manatee friends? I’ve relived that day in my mind many times, and it always brings a smile to my face. 

“How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty. I long, yes, I faint with longing, to enter the courts of the LORD. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God… A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.” (Psalm 84:1-2,10, NLT). 

Psalm 84 is generally considered a song of pilgrimage, one that was recited or sung when God’s people would journey to the Temple to worship. The writer was longing to be in God’s presence again. Now that Jesus has made a way for us to connect to God again even without a temple, this song could apply to coming into His presence anytime, anywhere, describing our longing just to be near him. Though I am so grateful that we can come into His presence all the time now through prayer and worship, I have always thought of this Psalm as more of a hope of the coming Kingdom. Perhaps we take for granted that we can approach God at any time with our praise and concerns. (I know I do.) And perhaps we don’t really wholeheartedly perceive the amazing promise of the Kingdom. (I know I don’t.)  

This world claims to have it all: fame, fortune, fun. But it will never truly satisfy. C.S. Lewis once said, “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with my never-ending to-do list and difficult, anxiety-provoking decisions that I lose focus of the eternal perspective. And other times, I think that everything is awesome and couldn’t possibly get better! For good or bad, it’s easy to get lost in the chaos of each day, isn’t it? It is important to focus on our purpose as followers of Christ and on the amazing hope of the Kingdom, which will be better than anything we can imagine. Even your best day in this life is nothing compared to the Kingdom experience, in which we will live with God and Jesus forever and where there will be no more sickness or crying or pain (see Revelation 21:4). 

Even just one day in God’s Kingdom will be better than a thousand of your best days in this lifetime. What a fantastic hope we have! 

-Rachel Cain

Reflections:

Close your eyes and imagine what the Kingdom will be like. Now, multiply that by a bazillion and you still won’t even be close to envisioning the peace and beauty of the Kingdom! 

Approach God in prayer and worship this week with a similar longing as expressed in this Psalm. Thank Him for the ability to enter His presence. Pray for a deepening desire to experience His presence during this life, as we await the coming Kingdom.

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Your Longing

Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 15 & 16

* Psalms Reading: Psalm 84

New Testament: Galatians Intro below

We are currently looking for a new house.  We love where we are now, but we’re outgrowing our space and ready to raise our family with more room!  We have toured SEVERAL houses, put in offers for a few, and yet still have nothing to show.  I’m looking for a house that fits my needs, or at least one that I can alter (without too much cost) that will give me happiness in a home.  I would say right now, I am yearning for a house.  There have been moments where I have even shed a tear of disappointment, frustration, and sadness over ‘losing’ a house that was never mine.  There are times where there is intense emotion behind my desire for a dwelling place.

God sure has a funny way of teaching me lessons… He really likes to teach me especially while I am trying to teach others.  When I signed up for this week of devotions, I hadn’t even met with a realtor.  Now, as I type up this message, I just spent three days stressing over what amount to offer on a house only to be rejected without a counter within hours and I opened up my Bible to “Longing for God’s House”… ironic, huh? So now, here I am reminding you but reminding me that the house I should be longing for is the house of God (Psalm 84:2).  My heart is aching for a space to call home, and yet I am ignoring the promise of a dwelling place of the LORD of Hosts (v. 1).  I’m out here struggling to feel “happy” with my current circumstance, but I have forgotten that I can reside in the house of an Almighty God and I should be praising Him CONTINUALLY (v.4)! 

We are told God gives grace and glory; that he doesn’t withhold the good from those who live with integrity (v.11).  I have been so focused on seeking out something for myself rather than focusing on how I am living and trusting God to show me the good He is providing.

Maybe you aren’t looking for a physical home right now, but I bet you are searching and yearning for ­something.  Maybe it’s a promotion at work, a hand to hold, a new car, to finish school, peace for your mental health, anything.  Everyone in some capacity is seeking “happiness”.  Are you looking in the right place?

-Sarah Johnson

Hello!  I am Sarah (Blanchard) Johnson.  My husband and I just welcomed little Eli in August of 2022 and we are LOVING being parents, although we miss some sleep too… We live in Minnesota and attend Pine Grove Bible Church; I have a heart for missions and would love to talk to you about it!

Questions for Reflection:

This Psalm gives us four ways to be happy:

1.       Reside in God’s house

2.       Praise God continually

3.       Get your Strength from God

4.       Trust in the LORD of Hosts

Which area do you need to focus on to feel happy?  Is there more than one?

I found one verse especially that caught my eye in how God reveals Himself… Which verses did you find?

Prayer:

LORD of Hosts, I pray today for myself and others, that we put our energy into longing for your house.  I pray that we live our lives with integrity so we can experience your good things.  I pray those seeking happiness find it through trusting in you.  God, thank you for all you are and all that you do in our lives each day.  We praise you for the promise of a perfect dwelling place to come.  In your son’s name, Amen.

And, in preparation for starting the book/letter of Galatians tomorrow in our New Testament reading, here’s Steve with our…

Introduction to Galatians

Paul wrote the book of Galatians to the churches in Galatia.  Paul was very direct in addressing their turning away from the gospel.  In 1:6, Paul says, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel…”  This was obviously a serious problem, since Paul then went on to say in 1:8, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!”

You’ll find out in Chapter 3 that their problem was that they were trying to be justified by observing the law.  Paul argued that justification comes through faith in Jesus alone, not by works performed according to the law.

Paul also pointed out that as far as Christ is concerned, there is no distinction between Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female – all are one in Christ.  Paul then went on to say that if they belong to Christ, then they are Abraham’s descendants, and heirs according to the promises to Abraham.  This applies to us today, as well.

Paul defined the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  He also pointed out that they (and we) should live by the Spirit, and not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

In 6:7-8, Paul wrote, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

The book of Galatians is just as relevant to us today as it was to the original audience when it was written.  As you read it, consider how this letter applies to you today.

-Steve Mattison

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