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Daily Devotion: Psalm 84:1-2

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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.

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