Longing to Be Near God’s Presence (Psalm 84)

Evening Scripture

Psalm, Chapter 84

How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!

My soul longs, indeed it faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.

Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise.

Selah

Happy are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

As they go through the valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.

They go from strength to strength;
the God of gods will be seen in Zion.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob!

Selah

Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed.

For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than live in the tents of wickedness.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
he bestows favor and honor.

No good thing does the Lord withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
happy is everyone who trusts in you.

Evening Reflection

Have you ever found yourself praying for more hours in the day? Despite the increased efficiency of technological advances, it seems like we are busier now than we have ever been. We run from place to place, task to task. If something doesn’t occupy our time this moment, we tend to pre-occupy our time with worries and fears about the future. We live with such a spirit of frenzy and demand that we rarely find time to be at peace.

Psalm 84 speaks about the blessings found in simply being in God’s house. The psalmist says that one day in the courts of God is better than a thousand running about elsewhere, and that it is better to be a doorkeeper at the front door of the church, than to live in tents cut off from God’s presence. The reason the psalmist makes this claim is not because of what they do at the temple, but rather who they receive.

See, standing in the temple – the dwelling place of the Lord – there are no demands or tasks; there are no assignments to complete or grades to strive for. There are no projects to toil under. Standing in the dwelling place of the Lord demands one thing: to receive the love of the God who draws us close. Is there anything more peaceful, more restorative, more lovely than that?

As you enter rest this night, reflect on your longing for God’s presence. Put aside any obligations of the day, or worries for tomorrow, and simply communicate your longing for God. Because your longing for God is matched by God’s longing for you.

Evening Prayer

Precious Lord,

I call to you. O God, come to me quickly. My life can be so busy with a multitude of things. I run to and from, this way and that, trying to manage my life as best I can. But deep within I know that abundant life is never found in the things that I create or do. Life, true life, is found in your presence. I long for the life of grace and truth that comes from your presence.

Father, I lay myself before you, and I listen to your word that tells me that you desire for your dwelling place to be in my life. So come to me, O Lord my God. Captivate me by your love; restore me in your healing hands, empower me with your spirit. May this night be a time where your heart speaks to mine, and may tomorrow be a day where, despite the tasks and demands of life, I live with a holy longing.

I pray all of this in the name of God-with-us; Jesus my Lord.

Amen.

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