How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place!

Psalm 84:1

How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty!
  

Today we follow our Borrowed Prayers from Great Men and Women of God Series, however this one may be a little unexpected but fantastic.  It will probably be one of the shortest prayers in the series or possibly in your prayer life.  I know you will find great benefit in this one because writing it gave me a new mind-set on a very important part of my life.  I needed a new way of thinking on this subject.  I knew I wanted it but never seem to totally arrive there.  But when God gives you His perspective on something it simply changes you without any real challenge.  So this study will come from a personal experience between me and God, your God.  I pray that it will impact you as significantly as it did me and give you the new dose of gratitude to God I am experiencing. 

Also God arranged the timing for this study perfectly, as usual.

Returning from a spring break vacation over a week ago, I began to write our Bible Study while my mother drove.  My daughter was content with her iphone in the back seat so things were relatively quiet.  God had given me Psalm 84 a while back for another Bible study about getting through difficult times. However, he brought me back to Psalm 84 on that day.  The funny thing is God stopped me on Psalm 84:1.  It appeared that he wanted me to only use this one sentence. So I determined that maybe this was not part of our Borrowed Prayers Series, but continued. 

Let me explain something about writing for me. I sincerely, humbly tell you I am merely the messenger. God is the author of everything I write. I take no credit whatsoever. I may be available to Him and open to hearing his voice and direction, but that is it. So with that in mind I want you to know that often I have no idea where my pen and paper are going. Sometimes I think I see the direction of the words, later to find out I was not on the right path. You see t is very exciting to write, especially when God is in control. I learn as I write it, just as you learn as you read it. We’re really in the same boat. I like that. I like that we learn together from God. Writing might not seem exciting to a lot of people, but when God is the author it thrills me to no end to serve Him in this way.

 Psalm 84:1

How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty!

Psalm 84:1 is our prayer for this week. Yes we have only an eight word prayer. However, your perspective will be far greater than eight words after you read this and begin to pray. Let me begin with just a little background on the authors of Psalm 84. The authors are the sons of Korah. They actually wrote several chapters in the book of Psalms. The sons of Korah were the temple assistants and choir leaders. They were Levites who performed daily functions in the temple. If you have ever read portions of Leviticus and the act of worship in those days you’ll find it has many components. I’m not here to describe that to you. My Life Application Bible described it this way, “Levites and priests put a great deal of time and care into worship. Everything relating to worship was carefully prepared and maintained so they and all the people could enter worship with their minds and hearts focused on God.”  The first words these men use in this Psalm is a description of God’s dwelling place. They describe it in one word, “lovely.”

Psalm 84: 1-2

How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty!
² My soul yearns, even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.

Reading Psalm 84: 1-2 you can really see how much these men desire to be in the house of God, in his presence. They yearned for God to the point of fainting. Why would they have such an emotional, passionate desire to be in the temple of God? It is hard as a woman for me to imagine a man yearning for something to the point of fainting. In our next Bible study we will dive into a full understanding of that and how it can relate to us today. I am eager to send that soon. But for now I just wanted you to see how very much these men wanted to be in the presence of God in his house. 

It is the description of these men and worship from my Life Application Bible that God used to inspire me to write this study. Let’s look at it again:

Levites and priests put a great deal of time and care into worship. Everything relating to worship was carefully prepared and maintained so they and all the people could enter worship with their minds and hearts focused of God.  Life Application Bible

Everything relating to worship was carefully prepared and maintained so they and all the people could enter worship with their minds and hearts focused on God.  At your church people are also carefully preparing and maintaining the place of worship, so that you and others can worship God with focus. People prepare an orderly arena for you to worship God without distraction. We probably have no idea how many people and tasks have been used to prepare for our one hour in church once a week.  Like the priests and Levites in the Old Testament who serve the people in worshiping God, your church has a group of people working to do nothing more than give you the experience of worship. It goes beyond your pastors, worship leaders, choir and greeters. 

Organization of children’s church and childcare represent a serious amount of preparation in finding volunteers, allotting work times, planning lessons, messages and music. That is but a few things involved. I can speak on the children’s ministry and probably write pages and pages on the work involved.  Children’s ministries are highly beneficial for our children’s own faith, but also allow adults freedom to truly worship freely without distraction.  Also, your church provides you with parking assistance.  Those people directing you to parking areas do not just show up and begin to help. They were found. They volunteered, planned a schedule and a format to best serve the attendees in finding parking and leaving the service.  There are a lot of people involved, especially in large churches. Church is an event every Sunday, and there are many people contributing to make it happen.

“Levites and priests put a great deal of time and care into worship. Everything relating to worship was carefully prepared and maintained so they and all the people could enter worship with their minds and hearts focused on God.”  Life Application Bible

Psalm 84:1
How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty!

Keep Psalm 84:1 in mind as we continue to explore the preparation involved in your weekly church service to allow you to focus on God, with your mind and your heart while there. I’m not sure I’m qualified to even guess the planning and work involved in producing a choir of people, musicians, sound people, a leader and other jobs that I may not be aware of. Of course there is the assembling of people into a choir, choosing music and practice, but I’m certain I have only touched on a few things involved in the development of what we see Sunday morning. This is a true production!

Your experience in worship on Sunday morning with praise and teaching is an event planned, prepared and executed every week. Have you ever considered all the development and work involved for us to arrive Sunday morning to a place of focus on worship - a place where we can worship God with our hearts and minds free of distraction? I just announced to my mother, driving while I write, that I will try to never be late for church again. My respect for this event we call church service has just skyrocketed. How dare I run late for what has been so carefully planned out and executed so that I, Truly, can find ease in worshiping my God.  Forgive me God, and all those precious people that have worked, volunteered and given to prepare for this event that I have not always given its due reverence by making every serious effort to attend timely. 

Early will be my new goal! Yes, early!

Early to enjoy the beauty of it all!
 
Early to watch the parking attendants engineering me to the right spot! 

Early to watch the greeters greet me so cheerfully!

Early to examine the building built for us to worship our God in it!  This building was built for worship – for our worship to our God! Wow!

Early to look at the walls inside that contain this mass of people of all ages, races and walks of life gathered for the sole purpose of worshipping God! 

Early to watch yet another organized group of people work their positions so very well – those dedicated ushers who assist us to our seats with a warm smile and a program for this event! I know they assist in the collection, count the people in attendance, but there’s probably a lot more to their job than I know.

Early to watch the choir and musicians assemble on the stage ready to perform what they have tirelessly practiced for the benefit of our worship to God!

Early to see our ministers gather in the front ready to deliver God’s very message written for us!  We can’t even imagine what time spent with God was involved to create the message we will hear and use in our own life.

Early to sit and soak in all that is the dwelling place of God on this day and hour!

Early to ponder the presence of God engaged with people throughout this week to prepare for this time!

Early to imagine Jesus watching as his beloved arrive to worship!

Early to enjoy the very presence of God in these walls we call our church!

 

Never forget this event we call church is far more than a simple service.  This is a carefully prepared and maintained event created so that we can all enter worship with our minds and hearts focused on God. 

Today, repeat Psalm 84:1 as you consider your place of worship – your church. 

Psalm 84:1
How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty!

It is truly lovely. Thank you God. Thank you for every hand, ear, mouth and foot that contributed to this most lovely event. 

Please continue reading so that you can truly receive the impact of this message that I did. When I went to church after receiving this message from God, I found the service to be the most beautiful service I think I’ve ever seen. It was not a special program that day. It was not a beautiful Easter or Christmas service. It was a typical Sunday service with music and a great message from the pastor. However, my eyes have been opened to see this service in a whole new light. My gratitude to the preparation gave me a new level of love for the people in this church. The presence of God was enlarged to a new scale for me. I felt joy in every single moment of that service. I desperately want you to have the same experience in your next church service, so please read on. Know that this message is to you from God.

Do you realize when you sit in church you are actually a witness to God’s gifts?  You sit as a witness to people using their God-given gifts to serve God, worship God and allow you to focus your heart and mind on God. You by personal presence see Godly gifts in action. You behold the things of God in other brothers and sisters of Christ. You are also a witness to the body of Christ in worship to their God of gods. You don’t get to see that at home, at work, on the street, at the grocery store, at the game, or throughout your normal day.  No! You see that at the house of God – church.

Psalm 84:1

How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty!

It is lovely. Look at that dedicated man of God on the stage that put his heart and soul into creating a message just for you. Look at your pastor; appreciate every God-given word that comes out of his mouth. God himself uses this man to speak to you. How lovely is that! Listen as your pastor prays words over you in love and care. It is not some Sunday tradition. He cares for you. Your pastor, a man of God, loves you. You are his family, his congregation, and his people. His prayers are not generic and simple. Your pastor prays over you with compassion. He prays out to God on your behalf so you will succeed and honor God. Witness his words. Look around at others and know he is speaking to God the creator of all for everyone in that place.

How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!
 

One last thing I want to share with you.  When I was in that service with a whole new mind-set on the event after God gave me this message, I experienced something extraordinary for the first time in my lifetime of attending church.  What I experienced was made possible by nothing more than my own effort produced after learning this message.  You see this new perspective on the experience of a church service can open your mind to new thoughts and pursuits.  So as I sat admiring all the many lovely aspects of the sanctuary, the choir, the people and even the walls, I began to think of Jesus being there in this building with us. With my imagination or maybe my spiritual eyes I saw Jesus walking slowly down the stairs from the balcony looking down at his people.  I saw his eyes of love for them.  I saw his joy to have them here in his house.  I could see Jesus slowly moving down the aisles among the congregation.  He did not talk to them.  He did not touch them.  But his every move and look was gushing with love for every single person in the building.  Without saying a word or touching anyone I could see love in a way I never saw before.  It was simply his presence alone that spoke love.  Now I may have a slight idea how people saw him when he was on earth.  Now I know the draw to him was far more than his teachings and healings, it was his presence that drew the people to him.  What an amazing thing to see! 

Whether it was my imagination or my spiritual eyes, I did see Jesus in my church service.  I saw him!  I looked for him and saw him!  You can do the same exact thing when you attend the event we call church.  Remember this is an event that we have the honor to attend.  It is an event of greater importance than anything in our week.  Go to this lovely dwelling place and experience it as I did!  Please!  I believe it will change you and bring you to a new level of peace and joy in the house of God.  I love you all! 

Truly

This week pray these simple eight words and look forward to your next time in church.  Next week is Easter.  I told you God’s timing is perfect.  I did not plan this.  He did. 

Psalm 84:1

How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty!