Today’s Reading, Psalms 80-85
Focal Scripture: Psalms 84:10 “Better a day in your courts than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than live in the tents of wicked people.”
Do you have a favorite place you like to spend time? Personally, my two favorite places to visit are the mountains and the beach when it has severe thunderstorms. The mountains are calming and you can find great places to hike and sights to see. Then watching a big thunderstorm roll onto the beach with lightning flashing is one of the most beautiful sights. I could spend hours just watching that event happen.
In today’s reading we see a proclamation of a favorite place. This place is the house of the Lord. The writer declares that better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. If we just read this quick we can miss the power behind the statement. The author declares that just one day in God’s presence is better than a thousand of a place that you love. The author then makes a very powerful statement. He says that he would rather stand in the doorway of the house over living with wicked people.
You might be asking “How does this impact my life any?” The answer is by searching how much you long to be in God’s house and his presence. Being around God changes everything, in a very real and powerful way. If we don’t want to be in his presence or enjoy it we have to ask ourselves why. I don’t mean by asking surface level questions but deep and prying questions that get to the heart of the issue.
There have been times where being in God’s house has been difficult. It has happened when I am not submitting to him and when I am around people who are ungodly and fake. However, I am reminded from this reading that it’s better to be in his doorway than to be anywhere else. Evil people will always exist and so I can’t allow how they behave to influence my desire to be in God’s presence.
So the challenge that you and I both have today is to find out if we long to be around God and his presence. If we do, we need to soak in every moment and make sure we are worshipping him in spirit and truth. If we are struggling with being in his presence that needs to be addressed immediately. If you’re struggling with sin it’s time to repent. If you’re struggling being around other professing believers it’s time to forgive or it’s time to address it biblically.
I encourage you today to long for God’s house and his presence. It is always the best place to be in your life of worship.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading Psalms 86-89
