Passion For God’s House

A sparrow is also seen as being alone without even a place to land. In the book of Psalm we read, “I lie awake, and am like a sparrow alone on the housetop” (102:7), and Proverbs declares, “Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight” (26:2). There are people today who feel all alone, as though they have no place of belonging, and no people to call their family; however, those who can’t seem to find a place to land, they having a landing strip in Jesus, and they can call the Father’s house their home.

David said of the Lord that He is “a father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation” (Ps 68:5). In God’s “holy habitation,” or in His tabernacle, He becomes a Father to the fatherless! For those who feel “dis-placed” you now have “a-place” in the Lord’s house!

A Place to Bless and Be Blessed (v. 4)

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will still be praising You. Selah (Psalm 84:4).

Point #3: God’s house is “A Place to Bless and Be Blessed.” We were created to bless and praise the Lord in worship. In blessing God we too are blessed, as we find fulfillment. A key term that we find here is the word “dwell.” If we “dwell” in the Lord’s house then we will be blessed. This word means, “to live or stay as a permanent resident,” and to “reside.”(5) This word has the same meaning as the word “abide,”(6) and Jesus stated that if we will abide in Him then we will bear much fruit (Jn 15:5). “Dwelling” and “abiding” in God’s house will lead to blessing, for the more we’re with God, the more we’ll know Him and experience His power and presence.

James said, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (Jas 4:8), but we have to draw near to Him first, and this begins with our praises and adoration. It commences with bowing down before the Lord in worship. God draws near to us when we praise Him, for David declared, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel” (Ps 22:3, KJV). God shows up and visits us whenever we praise Him, because He “inhabits” our praises and He’s “enthroned” in our praises (NKJV)!

God’s house is a place to bless and be blessed. As we praise the Lord, He will visit us with His presence; and as He visits us, it will be impossible to refrain from praising Him in return! We will feel compelled to keep on praising the Lord because of the indescribable blessing of His presence in our life!

A Place We Would Rather Be (v. 10)

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness (Psalm 84:10).

Point #4: God’s house is “A Place We Would Rather Be.” The New Living Translation renders this verse, “A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.”

God’s house is a place we would rather be. We’ve probably all seen the “I’d rather be” bumper stickers. We can be following a car down the highway and read such statements as, “I’d rather be driving a Titleist,” “I’d rather be flying,” or perhaps, “I’d rather be fishing.” The statement “I’d rather be” implies dissatisfaction with one’s current state of existence. There are a lot of these bumper stickers today, which could imply that there are actually “some” people who are dissatisfied with life.