“I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord.” (vs. 2) Hear the intense, I can’t live without you, desire to meet with God in this verse? Are we willing to step back from the busyness and demands of life? How would Sunday morning service, as well as our daily personal life, be if approached with such intensity?
Verse 10a reads, “One day spent in your house (God’s presence), this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches.” (Message Remix Bible). I really would like to go to Greece one day… to enjoy the food, the beautiful beaches of white sand meeting turquoise water, a time to relax. However, nothing on this earth, no matter how beautiful, comes close to the benefits of time spent in God’s presence. In His presence is fullness of joy!
2 comments:
That is great Pastor Arlene!
There is something I found so significant in these verses 5-7 "Blessed is the man whose strength is in you, whose heart is set on pilgrimage, as they pass through the valley of Baca, they make it a spring; the rain also covers it with pools; they go from strength to strength." That Valley of Baca is a really dry, dreary place, yet it was part of the journey they were on. Another name for it is the "valley of weeping". That valley is those seasons of our life that we walk through in our journey here on earth that are heart-wrenching and difficult. I have a friend who lost a child and it makes me think of situations like that. Or maybe rebelling children, or other devastating loss, or heart break, or hardship, or seasons in our life we just don't know if we will make it. Literally, the valley of weeping in our life. We've probably all been there to some extent, whether big or small challenges. What's easy for one may be hard for another...it's all relative. But, I love the promise in this verse. It says that on our journey, we WILL walk through that valley....but I have to tell you what some of the commentaries I read say about that. It says that the pilgrims (that's us) were able to find refreshment in that valley and were able to experience joy unspeakable in the presence of God, and that there are joys of the pilgrimage (the presence and provision of God) that make men forget the discomforts of the journey (His personal provision and outpouring in our life). Also, God gave them everything they needed and pointed out His provision to them even in the driest valley. Even though the ground was dry, He personally rained from above, gave them pools of rain to draw on, and their worship made what would have been difficult and painful actually a delight. And, the verse says "they go from strength to strength"! What a wonderful promise.
Have you ever been through a difficult time, but in the light of God's presence, it becomes the most growing season of your life, or the time you look back on with the most intense outpouring of God on your life b/c of what you had to walk through, when you've had to draw from His resources and strength b/c there was nothing else to draw on? And you look back now that you've passed it and see what God did through that circumstance? I've been there. Worship and presence of God can carry us through any circumstance and can make us strong in Him. Even in difficult financial times, just start worshipping. He's our provider and will pour out (and point out) everything we need and make us strong in Him in the process. Those few verses in those Psalms will be feeding me all week or month..I can already tell. This is awesome....so just some thoughts on what God personally spoke to me this morning!
That is really good Kirsten. I can identify and I think everyone can, because no one but the one going thru the valley can say what it is. Even the 23rd Psalm talks about "thou I walk thru the valley.....You will be with me." I love how God's promise is to always be with us. I used to tell myself that I could do absolutely anything as long as I wasn't alone!!! That's also how much we need each other. I think it is the hardest to open up to others when we are in those valleys in our lives but those times are when we need each other the very most. I am so thankful that I have sisters in the Lord that I know would stand with me no matter what I was going thru. Thanks - all of you for being there - thru each valley!!!
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