How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
2 I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord.
With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.
3 Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar,
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!
4 What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises.
5 What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord,
who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
6 When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs.
The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.
7 They will continue to grow stronger,
and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem. Psalm 84:1-7 (NLT)
Here I am at the beginning of another week. The Sabbath Rest seems so very short! The thought of walking in God’s gardens takes me to a place where I feel the tension and burdens just slide from my shoulders. And I can go there any time I want.
I am going to try something this week. I am going to intentionally commit this psalm (and/or the song at the end of this devotion) to my memory this week. And then at midmorning, lunch, midafternoon, and before bedtime, I am going to bring it to my mind and walk in the LORD’s courts. According to the watches of this world, I may walk there for only 30 seconds but I believe in God’s time, I may never leave there even while I am going about the tasks that I must do. By that I mean that God’s Spirit will be with me in the courtyard and will not leave me when I walk into my workplace and into my home.
Now I’m actually looking forward to the week!
Better is One Day written and sung by Matt Redman
