Coming Home – Psalm 84

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Drawing Closer To God

Have you ever felt so connected with God that you did not want the time to end? One retreat I went to that I mentioned in the post, “Baptism Of The Holy Spirit” created a moment like this for me. The speakers and leaders taught me so much about the Holy Spirit, and I know I experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit that weekend. I wished I could make the retreat last a lifetime. I wanted to keep learning and drawing closer to God. Psalm 84 invites us to do just that, to come home.

The Transfiguration

Peter must have felt this same way at the transfiguration. In Matthew 17, we see Jesus take Peter, James, and John up a mountain for time away. When they got to their location, Jesus transformed before them. The scripture says, “His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.” Can you imagine? The story continues with Moses and Elijah appearing and speaking to Jesus.

“After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.”

Matthew 17:1-3 NIV

There is no doubt in my mind that I would have responded like Peter. He, too, wanted this moment to last forever. We see Peter’s response in verse four.

“Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

Matthew 17:4 NIV

Moments in God’s presence are the most powerful experiences we can have this side of eternity. The writer of Psalm 84 must have known this for himself because he wrote a beautiful song about finding home in God’s presence.

Psalm 84

I encourage you to read this Psalm all the way through, by hovering over the scripture reference here, Psalm 84:1-12, before continuing on. Then we will go through it together. I use the NIV throughout this post.

How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place

“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

God instilled within us an innate desire to seek Him always. Anything or anyone else other than Him cannot fulfill this longing. We can observe this in our world today. I work in a school and my desk faces out into a corridor, where I see hurting teens walk by my office every hour. Their faces and mannerisms reveal their pain, and I understand their need to have a place to belong. Instead of seeking God, this pulls them in many other directions. I want nothing more to share with them that there is One who can wipe away every tear from their eyes and fill the emptiness they feel in their hearts.

Only the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, that placed this innate need within us at the moment He created us, can satisfy the thirst we long for.

"Only the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, that placed this innate need within us at the moment He created us, can satisfy the thirst we long for." Jennifer Thayer Knight Click To Tweet

Even The Sparrow Has Found A Home

“Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young — a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.”

Psalm 84:3-4

We learn that when we are in His holy presence; it is the only time we are truly at home. This verse says, “Even the sparrow has found a home and the swallow a nest for herself where she may have her young.”

Even animals know where to find home, a place of refuge. I love in many other psalms where it says, “Under His wings I find refuge.” It is under His wings, in His presence, that I find strength and security. It is in this place that I find an absolute peace that I cannot find anywhere else.

"It is under His wings, in His presence, that I find strength and security. It is in this place that I find an absolute peace that I cannot find anywhere else." Jennifer Thayer Knight Click To Tweet

When we are in His presence, in continual communion with God, our hearts have no other choice but to praise Him. Read my blog post, “Praise And Worship” to read more about this.

Blessed Are Those Whose Strength Is In You

“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.”

Psalm 84:5-6

When we remain in God’s presence, not only does it instill within us a need for worship, but also a desire for pilgrimage. When we pilgrimage, we are on the move. We are actively serving God in various ways.

The Valley of Baka. In Hebrew, the word for Baka means weeping. There is likewise a footnote in most Bibles by pools that mentions this word could mean blessings. As Psalm 23 declares, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” Here in Psalm 84, the psalmist says that even though we weep, He will still rain blessings upon us.

Better Is One Day In Your Courts

“They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob. Look on our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. 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 84:7-10

Once we’ve experienced the awe-inspiring power of God, and we have rested in His presence, and we have drawn strength from the God of Jacob, there is no other place we would rather be than with Him. Anyone who has had this type of experience would agree that to have one more day with Him would be better than to have 1000 days anywhere else.

For The Lord God Is A Sun And Shield

“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

When we are in Him, practicing communion with Him, meaning we are in prayer and we are in His word, and we seek Him first above and beyond anything of this world, He blesses us. For those that abide in Him, He walks with us and through Jesus; He makes us blameless in His sight.

I am so thankful the Lord has a blessing for those who trust in Him. His desire is for us to keep drawing closer to Him. You can read in my last few posts where I share opportunities to take part in the great commission. I share ways of how we can draw closer to Him through prayer and reading the word. Following some of these suggestions will bring us right under His wing, where we can find refuge in His almighty presence.

Invitations To Abundance

I just finished reading a book by Alicia J. Akins. A beautiful book called, “Invitations To Abundance.” In this new release, she talks about how God invites us to the table, in the same way that this psalm invites us to come home.

Alicia takes the reader through the old testament feasts and how we see glimpses of Jesus in these feasts. She makes the stories come alive in her rich, beautiful writing style. Alicia then leads the reader into a couple of psalms and into the rebuilding of the wall when the Israelites return from exile.

She then ushers us into the New Testament in the parables of Jesus. Who knew there were so many feasts in the parables? We read of the wedding supper that Jesus turned the water into wine. The feast that follows the return of the prodigal son. Then we read of the ultimate feast in Heaven. The wedding feast we are all invited to.

This book introduced me to different aspects of God, and how He has a table of abundance laid out for us. He invites us daily, hourly, every minute of our day, to come to His table and feast. He invites us to come home.

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