A Day in God's Courts
In the time of the psalmist the temple was the place of worship, the very place that God dwelt on the earth. The surrounding areas were the courts of the temple. There was one for the Gentiles, and then, near the altar was the court of the Jews. The psalmist loved the Lord so much, and he realized the joy of being in His presence, so that he proclaimed that one day in the courts of the Lord is better than 1,000 days somewhere else. It is especially better than dwelling in the tents of wickedness, far from the Lord. (Psalm 84:10) I pray that we have all learned this lesson today.
What is the most pleasurable and fulfilling experience we can have? There are many ways that we may answer this question. I hope we will be honest with ourselves and the Lord as we answer it. The answer we give shows if we have learned the lesson of the psalmist. When we draw near to God in worship with fellow believers at church to worship the Lord, should be the greatest time we have in our lives. It is then that we "enter His courts." Why do I say that? The church is the body of Christ, the Bride of Christ. Christ died for the church. Each believer is indwelt by the Spirit of God, because now our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we gather with other believers the power and presence of the Spirit is even greater than when we spend time with the Lord alone. That is why I can say that I love my unhurried time with the Lord each day, and it restores my soul on a daily basis, but that day of worship each week is the greatest time. I would rather have one day in God's house, even as the doorkeeper than to spend 1,000 days doing other things that people consider fun or exciting.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalm 86-88.
What is the most pleasurable and fulfilling experience we can have? There are many ways that we may answer this question. I hope we will be honest with ourselves and the Lord as we answer it. The answer we give shows if we have learned the lesson of the psalmist. When we draw near to God in worship with fellow believers at church to worship the Lord, should be the greatest time we have in our lives. It is then that we "enter His courts." Why do I say that? The church is the body of Christ, the Bride of Christ. Christ died for the church. Each believer is indwelt by the Spirit of God, because now our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we gather with other believers the power and presence of the Spirit is even greater than when we spend time with the Lord alone. That is why I can say that I love my unhurried time with the Lord each day, and it restores my soul on a daily basis, but that day of worship each week is the greatest time. I would rather have one day in God's house, even as the doorkeeper than to spend 1,000 days doing other things that people consider fun or exciting.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalm 86-88.