“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. Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion. For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!” (v1-2,4-5,7,10-12)
Off the top of my head, this Psalm has been used as inspiration for at least one worship song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdE03zRJtxw. Why would someone pick this Psalm to inspire a worship tune? Probably because the content is all about worshiping and praising God – “my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God”.
Imagine for one moment that this Psalm was written by Aaron, who as the high priest, had the unique ability to spend time in God’s presence in the holy of holies (the inner room of the tabernacle). One day per year he was allowed to enter directly into God’s presence. What was that experience like for him? Was the 1 day in God’s presence better than the other 353 days elsewhere? How about one day in the court or outer room of the tabernacle, where God’s presence was partially obscured? How did that compare to the thousands in Egypt?
Now imagine for one moment that this song was written by Matthew (the tax collector and disciple). What was it like for him to sit at the feet of Jesus for one day, compared to the thousands prior to being called? What was it like to sit with Jesus versus sitting in a tax booth, being berated and spat upon?
Now imagine this song was written by you. Picture for only a moment your life before knowing and following Jesus – how lost you were, how unfulfilling life was, how cloudy the days probably felt. Picture your life now, knowing who Jesus is, and knowing you have the freedom to sit in His presence. Is it a strong contrast to compare a life without God, to a life with God?
Now let’s take it one step further – if we imagine the end of our time in God’s partial presence on this earth, and imagine being in perfect unity with Him in heaven, can you see an even stronger contrast? Insert another powerful song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok0yCrH5qGE. I still get goosebumps when I listen to this song. What would one day in God’s perfect and complete presence be like? I can only imagine.
Father God, we are awestruck by the power of Your presence. Each day as we sit at your feet, we can remember where we came from, and we can imagine where we’re going. May today, a day spent in Your presence, be better than one thousand days elsewhere. May tomorrow be even better than today, with each passing day seeing us one day closer to being in Your unhindered presence. We raise our hearts and hands in praise to You for the presence You have with us today, and the wholeness of relationship that You have restored through Jesus. I can only imagine what Your presence will show us tomorrow.
~ Conqueror in Training