Posted on 07/30/2015 5:34:04 AM PDT by Gamecock
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God” (vv. 1–2). - Psalm 84:1–7
You can tell a lot about a person if you know where he aims to spend his time. A self-professed “family man” who spends every free weekend out with his buddies and away from his wife and children has demonstrated the emptiness of his claim. On the other hand, the man who must put in a few extra hours “off the clock” shows a profound devotion to his family if he wakes up before they do and gets his work done before they get up so that he can spend his time at home with them.
God’s people show their deep commitment to Him by longing to be with Him and His people, and today’s passage provides us with an example of one who was devoted to the Lord above all else. Psalm 84 reveals the heart of a psalmist who saw worshiping the Lord as his highest priority. The author begins with a declaration of the loveliness of God’s dwelling place (v. 1), a reference in the original context to the temple of the Lord. From the description of the colors, cloths, precious metals, and fine woods used to build first the tabernacle and then the temple (Ex. 36; 1 Kings 5–7), we know that these sanctuaries were aesthetically beautiful and engaging to all of the five senses. In turn, this shows us that our Creator has a love for beauty and that it is right to make the places where we gather for worship appropriately beautiful. We would be mistaken, however, to understand the psalmist’s reference to the loveliness of God’s house as having primary reference to the physical beauty of the temple. In the first instance, the temple was beautiful because the beautiful God chose to make His dwelling place there. When idolatry was committed there and the Lord left the building, it was no longer a lovely place but an empty tomb fit only for destruction (Ezek. 8–10).
Though God is extraordinarily lovely, one does not have to be extraordinary to enjoy life in His presence. Psalm 84:3 notes that “even the sparrow finds a home” in the Lord’s temple, even in the holy place near the altars. That a lowly, common sparrow is welcome in the place where our Creator dwells shows that the lowliest human being can dwell before the Lord in peace and gladness—provided, of course, that person is in a right relationship with God. In ourselves, we are unlovely and unfit to dwell in the Lord’s presence. But in His grace, God has provided a way to make us lovely, covering us with the loveliness of the righteousness of His Son when we trust only in Jesus for salvation (2 Cor. 5:21).
Coram Deo
The Bible speaks often of the beauty of God and the loveliness of His dwelling place. Though it is hard for us to fathom now, our Creator is more beautiful than anything we can imagine. The most beautiful of His creatures pale in comparison to His radiant loveliness. One day, all of us who are in Christ will see this loveliness face-to-face (1 John 3:2). Christ is better than any of the pleasures this world has to offer, so why would we serve lesser idols instead of Him?
Passages for Further Study
Numbers 24:5 How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!
Psalm 27:4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.
Song of Solomon 6:4 You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Good Morning All!
Hope all of you have a blessed day!
Beautiful Devotional this morning!
Was that RC Sproul?
Thanks for posting. I listen to Lingolier on WCNO Palm Beach.
R.C. or one of his staff.
Love the work they do down there.
“Down There” LOL!
South Florida is now “Down There” hahaha :-)
Well...sometimes it gets pretty HOT “down here”. LOL!
"One day, all of us who are in Christ will see this loveliness face-to-face"
Oh blessed day!!!
Praise God He will make us able to stand in His presence otherwise we might fare significantly worse than did John when He turned to see who spoke and fell flat on his face as one dead!
"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." Jude 24,25)
grace and peace to you GC!
**grace and peace to you GC!***
And also to you!
Morning Game!
Hoss
Morning Hoss!
Don’t forget ol’ Dan Blocker... the original Hoss... or “Haas”....
That was my nickname growing up. But I suppose it was because it was an “opposite” nickname — I was tall and lanky. Until I married.
My wife is too good a cook.
:D
Hoss
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