Skip to main content

Daily Devotion: Psalm 84:1-2

By

Psalm 84:1-2    "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!  (2)  My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God."

For the child of God, it is a part of our new nature to cry out to God.  There is a great need for Him once the Lord has shown us the joy of His presence in our lives. There is joy in the presence of the Lord. There is contentment in the presence of the Lord. There is strength in the presence of the Lord. There is fellowship which drives away loneliness in the presence of the Lord. There is glory in the presence of the Lord. Can you add any more to this list?

The writer of this Psalm evidently has just had the experience of being in the presence of the Lord and began this song exclaiming "how amiable are thy tabernacles O LORD!"  Although we do not use the word, amiable, every day, it is a very good word. It describes the place within our hearts where the love of God is experienced and where our love for God is expressed.  Every child of God is a tabernacle for the Lord. Paul expressed this to the church at Corinth which was not manifesting that truth. "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you?" (1 Corinthians 6:19)  He is using this grand truth to remind them that better things are expected of them because they are the "tabernacles", or "temple of the Holy Ghost."

There is no better place to be than when we are in the seat of worship, within our hearts, and are experiencing the very felt presence of the Lord God Almighty. The Psalmist says it is the most lovely place on the face of the earth. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could experience it constantly? Well, we will be in heaven's glory, but I'm thankful for the pieces of heaven on earth when I know with all my being that my Lord unconditionally loves me in spite of myself. As the writer thinks upon these things, he says "My soul longs for those times and my very being cries out for you, O Lord, to show yourself to me one more time."

Remember when Peter, James, and John were privileged to see a portion of the glory of the Lord on the mountain of transfiguration? Peter could not fully express that glory which he saw, but he knew it was good. "Lord, it is good for us to be here." (Matthew 17:4)  Peter was expressing the very same thing as the Psalmist who said, "It is amiable (lovely, loveable) for us to be here."  When you and I are blessed to experience the presence of the Lord in worship, we often say, "It is good to be in the house of the Lord." When we are in dry places, we cry out for that wonderful experience of being in the presence of the Lord. It is wonderful when He answers our call.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Daily Devotion: Colossians 1:25-26

By
Colossians 1:25-26    “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;  Even   the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:” In verse twenty-four, Paul has expressed his joy in bearing hardship for the church. It is of this church, the body of Jesus Christ, that he is made a minister. Since Paul used the phrase “made a minister” in verse twenty-three of this same chapter, it seems there is something important that he wishes to convey. The Greek word translated as “made” means “to cause to be.” It was the will of God (Col 1:1) that caused Paul to become a minister. God is always the cause of true ministry. Although our fathers may be ministers, if we become true ministers of the gospel it is  not  because our fathers are ministers. True ministers of the gospel do not take that path because they seek honor for themselves, or b...
Read more

Daily Devotion: Exodus 7:6-10

By
Exodus 7:6-10    "And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they. And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh. And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent." Moses and Aaron had begun to doubt whether they were right for the job the LORD had given them. Here, it is evident that God granted them a renewal of their faith. Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them. In my opinion, all truly successful outcomes in our lives begin with this. Moses and Aaron were not young men. Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three years old. Still,...
Read more

Daily Devotion: Ephesians 6:21-24

By
Ephesians 6:21-24     “But that ye also may know my affairs,   and   how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and   that   he might comfort your hearts. Peace   be   to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace   be   with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.” There seems to be a trend in congregations today to worship with one group of people and to socialize with an entirely different group. We don’t want our church family bleeding over into our friends circle and vice versa. This happens because our “Sunday selves” are much different from the way we live the rest of the time. Paul sets a very different precedent here for his relationship with the church. Paul says in effect “I want you to know how I a...
Read more