Enjoying God's presence in His House

Today's scripture reading is from Psalms 84-86 and Romans 12. Psalms 84 and 85 are written by the Sons of Korah. I had previously written about the Sons of Korah. It's hard to believe what treasure you find in these 11 Psalms that they wrote. I have decided to commit much of Psalm 84 to memory. It's quite easy as many of the verses have been made into music! Just listen to some of these familiar verses:

"How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty! 
 My soul yearns, even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God." (Psalm 84:1,2)

This is how I sometimes feel when I go to church. This is how I should feel as I look forward to my eternal home. The writer saw a sparrow making a nest near the altar and he responded: "Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you." (Psalm 84:4). Yes that's what we are made for. That's what eternity is like - praising God in His Holy Dwelling Place.

"Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage." (Psalm 84:5)

This life is but a pilgrimage. On this journey we discover many of God's handiwork and find the necessary strength to get to the final destination: "They go from strength to strength till each appears before God in Zion." (Psalm 84:7)

"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." (Psalm 84:10)

Today I also learned who the "doorkeeper" was. I like this explanation the best: "The psalmist means that he would rather stand at the door of God's house and merely look in, than dwell in houses where iniquity prevailed." When we look into God's house what do we see? What an amazing perspective! Keith Green wrote a beautiful song about it "Oh, Lord You're Beautiful!"

The Psalm ends with this exhortation:
"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.
Lord Almighty,

    blessed is the one who trusts in you." (Psalm 84:11-12)

To finish up I listened to this song one more time - still brought tears to my eyes:
Keith Green - There is a Redeemer