Psalms 84:1-12: a reflection

1How lovely are your dwellings, LORD of Armies! 2My soul longs, and even faints for the courts of the LORD. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. 3Yes, the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young, near your altars, LORD of Armies, my King, and my God. 4Blessed are those who dwell in your house. They are always praising you. Selah. 5Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on a pilgrimage. 6Passing through the valley of Weeping, they make it a place of springs. Yes, the autumn rain covers it with blessings. 7They go from strength to strength. Every one of them appears before God in Zion. 8LORD, God of Armies, hear my prayer. Listen, God of Jacob. Selah. 9Behold, God our shield, look at the face of your anointed. 10For a day in your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11For the LORD God is a sun and a shield. The LORD will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly. 12LORD of Armies, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

This psalm breathes a deep longing for the presence of God. How lovely are your dwellings, LORD of Armies! My soul longs, and even faints for the courts of the LORD. The psalmist yearns to be near God, in his house, in his presence; and he treasures that nearness above all else: 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. Nearness to God is what he longs for and prizes above every other good.

Notice how the psalmist prizes the presence of God: above every other place or good. A single day near God, he says, is better than a thousand elsewhere; the humblest place in God's house is better than the finest place away from him. His deepest longing is not for comfort or wealth or status, but for nearness to God; that is what his soul faints for, what he treasures above all. To be near God is, to him, the greatest good, better than anything the world offers away from God.

That longing for God's presence, prized above every other good, is worth cultivating in our own hearts. We can long for many things, comfort, success, security, and give our deepest yearning to these; but the psalmist's deepest longing was for nearness to God, which he prized above all. To be near God, he knew, is better than any good the world offers apart from him. Consider what your soul most longs for, what you treasure above all; is it nearness to God, as it was for the psalmist, or have other goods taken that highest place? Cultivate a longing for God's presence, prizing nearness to him above every other good, so that you can say with the psalmist that a day in his courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. Let your deepest yearning be for God himself, whose presence is better than any good the world can offer apart from him, as the psalmist longed and fainted for the courts of the LORD.

Lord, this psalm breathes a deep longing for your presence: how lovely are your dwellings; my soul longs, and even faints for your courts. The psalmist yearns to be near you, and treasures that nearness above all: a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in your house than dwell in the tents of wickedness. Show me how the psalmist prizes your presence: above every other place or good. A single day near you, he says, is better than a thousand elsewhere; the humblest place in your house is better than the finest place away from you. His deepest longing was not for comfort or wealth or status, but for nearness to you. To be near you was, to him, the greatest good. Help me cultivate that longing in my own heart. I can long for many things, comfort, success, security, and give my deepest yearning to these; but the psalmist's deepest longing was for nearness to you. Help me consider what my soul most longs for, what I treasure above all; is it nearness to you, or have other goods taken that highest place? Help me prize nearness to you above every other good, Lord, so that I can say with the psalmist that a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. Let my deepest yearning be for you yourself, whose presence is better than any good the world can offer apart from you.