PSALMS 84
THE BLESSINGS OF DWELLING IN GOD’S PRESENCE
INTRO: (vs.1-3) Psalms 42, 63
Expressions revealed in this portion of scripture show us that his feelings were inexpressible, lovely to the memory, to the mind, to the heart, to the eye and to the whole soul. The tabernacles (outer court, inner court, the holy place or the holy of holies), he loved every portion of it. Even at a distance the psalmist rejoices to remember the sacred tent where Jehovah revealed Himself, where the presence of God is, where believers sing songs of grace, joyful sound is echoed forth.
v. 2 “My soul longeth” – it pines and faints to meet with the saints in the Lord’s house. The desire was deep and insatiable – the very soul of man was yearning for his God. He has a holy lovesickness upon him and was consumed with an inward desire for the Lord.
“My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God” It was God himself that he pined for, the only living and true God. The psalmist declared that he could not remain silent in his desires, but began to cry out for God and his house; he wept, he signed, he pleaded for the privilege.
Where I come from, people have to wait for the bells to ring to call them into the house of God. The psalmist needed no clatter of bells to ring to call him to worship – he had a desire, a longing a holy appetite for God and his presence. “A holy appetite is a better call to worship than a full chime”
v.3. The psalmist envies the sparrows that lived around the house of God, and picked up the crumbs that fall in the courts, he only wished that he too could frequent the house of God and have a taste of the heavenly food.
He even envied the swallows that have built their nests and found a place for their young and themselves. The church of God is a home for us and the nest for our little ones. The expression “nest” and “house” conveys the same message. It is a place of security, a shelter from the storm, a covert to hide oneself from every evil, a protection from all that can harm, “a place to rest in, to nestle in, to joy in”.
But there is one thing in these highly privileged birds- they did not know from whom all these kindness flowed, they knew neither his heart nor his hand, and yet they enjoyed the rich provisions of his tender care. God thought of everything for their need and yet there was no fellowship or relationship between them and the great Giver. We learn a great lesson from this- we shouldn’t be satisfied with merely frequenting the house of God, but to rise in spirit and seek and find, enjoy direct communion with the living God through Christ Jesus.
BLESSINGS OF DWELLING IN GOD’S PRESENCE
1. “THEY ARE FOREVER PRAISING THEE” (V. 4)
The fruit of our lips is praise, thanksgiving, adoration, worship, and gratitude. Doubts are gone, fears are gone, unsettled questions are gone. They do not exist in the holy place.
It is not the good disposition of the servants BUT the infinite worthiness of God almighty that makes them praise. When we see how He has delivered us from sins, gave us eternal life, provided for our needs, how h e has treated us like children more than servants. What heart can be so ungrateful not to praise Him? You just cannot afford to remain silent, when you realize how merciful, and gracious and loving God is.
Psalm 96. “ Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord all the earth, sing to the Lord bless his name. Proclaim good tidings of his salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations. His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised!
Friends when you’re in God’s presence you will say things that glorify and praise the Lord.
You will be an encourager, a reconciliator, a peacemaker; you will say the right words at the right time. What comes out of your mouth will build up and not tear down, it will give life and not kill and destroy.
2. “THEY GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH” (V. 7)
v. 5. “Blessed is the man whose strength is in the Lord”
not in himself, or how financially stable he is, not in being successful at his job, not in having a good family, not even in a church…
5b “but in whose heart are His ways”. What is your heart attitude toward God? Are you serving Him wholeheartedly or not? Have you surrendered totally to Him or just a part of your life? We can give Him our sins but not our finances, or will, or desire or family or job.
I think that one of the things that disgust God is a half-hearted Christian. Remember the journey in the wilderness? Even though they were in the Lord’s assembly, their hearts were still in Egypt. On many occasions they complained and spoke against God. “Why have you brought us into the wilderness to die. We would have been better off in Egypt-we liked the garlic, melon etc, there’s food there and when we die, we will be given a proper funeral at least. But in this wilderness we are going to die and our bodies will be left for the animals to consume”
We could have been better off in Egypt. Their hearts were still in Egypt. Some of us tonight still have our hearts in Egypt. No wonder they didn’t make it to the Promised Land. God said in Numbers 14:22-24 “But my servant Caleb…..has followed me fully.”
In Revelation 3:15, 16, God spoke to the church in Laodicea “I know your deeds that you are neither hot nor cold. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of they mouth.” God gets nauseated too at times!!
v. 6 “Who passing through the valley of Baca, make it a well.” I made a little research and found out that this is the valley of tears or weeping.
Now I know that at times we go through some deep valleys in our walk with the Lord. We go through difficulties, pains, hurts, you may have been mistreated and misunderstood by people you love. You may be going through tough times with your family, spouse or your job. Or you may be finding it hard to forgive people who have hurt you. Or you may be just too tired of going through!
Hey, we were never promised golden streets on this earth or a bed of roses. The only promise Jesus gave us was “I will never leave you nor forsake you”. God told Joshua after Moses had died, “Just as I was with Moses, I will be with you, I will not fail you or forsake you”.
Just as He was with Moses- wilderness, no food, no water etc; God was with Him, He provided food, water and strength.
God is water in the desert, food during famine and drought, strength when you’re weak, wisdom and stability when you’re confused. 1Cor. 12:10 “Therefore I am well content with weakness, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong”.
Even when he was given the thorn in the flesh, he pleaded with the Lord three times that it might be taken away from him and the Lord replied and said “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness”
v. 7 “We go from strength to strength, glory to glory, victory to victory, until we all appear before god in heaven. All of us who have endured.
3 HE WITHHOLDS NO GOOD THING
v. 10 He didn’t say one year in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere but ONE DAY. Not a quarter or a month but One day. He shows that the very least of god is exceedingly precious to a gracious soul that has God as his portion.
“I would rather be a doorkeeper at the house of my God”
Psalms 27:4 “One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seek after to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. To behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire into his temple.”
I don’t care what you do, but just keep me in that house. Let me hear the sweet voices of the redeemed sing praises. Songs of love and grace are sing by the believers. Let me hear the ministry of the word and be a part of the administration of the ordinances. Just let me be where God is. For He is a Sun and Shield. As a sun He shows me myself, as a shield He shows me Himself. As a Sun He discloses my own nothingness, as a Shield He shows me His Divine sufficiency. As a Sun He enables me to discern that I deserve nothing but wrath and can earn nothing but shame. As a Shield, I have a title to immortality and I can claim my inheritance in heaven. As a Sun He strengthens/energizes, He is light to your path, light to your feet. As a Shield, He protects, comforts and shelters.
Moses said “the Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in, He shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in they ways, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Remember the conversation God had with Satan? God said, “have you considered my servant Job? Satan replied “Yes, I have, thou hast set a hedge about Him!
Yes church “the Lord is a shield, even Satan recognizes that”. The devil can do me no harm!!!
v. 11 “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” I am not talking about health and wealth, riches and honor, for these are things that God bestows promiscuously upon the just and unjust.
The good things of God are
Peace of conscience, peace of mind
Joy in the Holy Ghost
His glorious presence
Visions of his glory in the next life
He will not withhold no good thing to those who dwell in His presence
He carries you from strength to strength in his presence
You will be forever singing praises in the presence of the Lord.
