Psalms 84 God: The Resting Place of Man.
The Psalmist's desire to be with God is rooted deep in his soul longs, as he faints to be in the courts of the Lord, like the deer that pants for the streams of water (Ps.42). This results in his heart and flesh singing for joy.
His main desire is to be in God’s presence. He has such a longing to be where God is, to find that place where God dwells. God is at home wherever worshippers find a place for him in their heart. God will never abandon or leave any home where he is welcomed or forsake any heart that truly seeks after him. God honours the soul that seeks, pants, runs and yes, even faints after him. He is forever there waiting.
The psalmist has a beautiful and dynamic attitude toward coming into the house of God. In contrast, how shallow our attitude has become in our culture when entering the house of God. How careless our attitude when approaching God in the worship of him. This act should be the highlight of our day, week and entire life! We are to enter His presence with joy.
We learn that even the smallest of birds find a resting place and discover a shelter at the altar of God. Jesus declares that sparrows have homes, birds have nests, but the son of God has nowhere to lay his head. We who follow Jesus must have the same attitude, in that our resting place will never be of or in this world. Our desired resting place is at the altar of God. Ultimately, our true resting place is in heaven. Therefore, in relation to our true home and rest, we must look to heaven and beyond this world. Since we are raised with Christ, we seek those things which are above (Col.3:1). We should remember:
1) Heaven (the kingdom of God) enters our hearts the moment we receive Christ into
our lives.
2) The house of God should be considered only a representation of our heavenly house.
It is unfortunate that our churches, our houses of worship, have replaced that vision and clouded our understanding of our true place of worship. Not that I am against meeting regularly in our churches, but our true worship must first take place in the heart and in our homes. Perhaps through this pandemic, when we are forced to worship more at home, away from the physical structures, that we will understand the first importance of sanctifying our hearts as the place of worship. Let the singing, dancing, rejoicing, and worshipping resound in our hearts and homes before we enter the sanctuary.
The psalmist describes his emotions as he enters the house of God:
1) He sings for joy
2) He believes one day in God’s courts is better than a thousand outside.
3) Those who dwell in God’s house are blessed.
Zion is the place where the deserts in one’s life become pools, rich pools of springs filling all the cracked, dry, barren places. A place where we go from strength to strength.
Two beautiful images depict God’s attributes:
1) He is the sun. He is the light, the provider of warmth and life, the centre of creation,
the heat, the ever-present guide in the darkness, the illuminator of truth and the vision.
2) He is a shield. He is the protector, defender, armour, and mantle.
The result is that He will withhold no good thing to those who walk close to Him and walk uprightly. And the one who walks close to him, always trusting him, will stay forever blessed.
‘No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly’ - Psalm 84:11
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