Psalm 84: 1-12 “…….my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.…….look with favor on your anointed one.”

This is a familiar psalm to many of us. But I would recommend that you read it and pray

for open understanding from the Holy Spirit to see deeper truths in this chapter. I have always loved this chapter but have dwelt on the last half of verse 10, “I’d rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” That’s a nice sentiment but we often quote it out of hearts of pride and self-righteousness. And who would be content being a door keeper at the local church? Would you?

In the quest for seeking the face of God, there are two distinct dimensions of this activity: the quest for His presence and the quest for His favor. I have pulled both of those quests out of the text above. We will look at the first one only this time.

The quest for His presence: v. 2

The Almighty Lord’s dwelling place is lovely (v.1). Psalm 27: 4 says this, “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” I don’t believe he’s talking about a building, a church, or a meeting hall for the body of Christ to gather in. And he’s talking about all the days of his life so he is not referring to a future time in Heaven. He is saying that we can dwell IN the PRESENCE of God all the time right here on earth! And this desire to dwell in the presence of the Lord is so great that he says his soul (emotions, thoughts) are so great in yearning for this that his soul even faints. God, create such a yearning in my heart. Let me cry from my heart for you, the living God. He says it’s possible because even a sparrow and a swallow have their hiding place. But it depends on what you want. Are you willing to pay the price? It does cost – it costs everything you are and have.

But the reward is to have Him. Then the cost looks rather paltry, because we have Him.

When we have the presence of the living God in us, verses 5 – 7 tell us we can walk through anything in life and change our world. That’s what it means: a dry place becomes a place of springs (life to you) and as the difficulties deepen (autumn) rains cover them to make pools (drinking places for life to others) and we go from strength to strength.

That’s what it’s all about. Having His presence in us always (being aware of Him) so that as we go about life, we are agents of change of our environment and the people He is calling to Himself. Lord, come to us, reveal Yourself to us. May we never be the same again.  Amen and Amen.