Verse: Psalm 84:1-4
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.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
Devotion
This Psalm was written about the temple, most likely by someone who regularly worked in the temple. At this point in his life he is away from where the presence of God dwells, and his heart is longing to return. He poetically indicates his jealousy of the birds who nest in the temple – they never have to leave!
This made me start to think—where in my life do I experience God like this? For me, I love singing songs of worship. So Sunday mornings can be a great opportunity. Of course, sometimes I have to fight just going through the motions. But when I really dial in and am present in the moment, I enjoy the sense of God’s presence all around me. My morning time with God is another sacred space. Whether it’s my chair that looks out the window, or my chair on the deck (in warmer months, not recently!) I sense and know God is with me.
I find that there is something grounding and foundational about those experiences. Sensing his presence, hearing his voice, knowing he is near to me—these experiences are sustaining.
Where are those spaces in your life? Often we have to be intentional about creating those “dwelling place” experiences. His presence is something our soul longs for, whether we know it or not. Psalm 63 says it this way: “I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” We live in a world that literally sucks the life out of us. We need to come to God to find restoration and healing.
One more thought: There’s a practice in Ignatian spirituality called noticing. It’s the practice of learning to see God’s love and kindness during the regular every day stuff of life. I wonder how often we just rush by an opportunity to dwell with God. It might be in a conversation with someone who loves you, or watching a sunrise or sunset, or finishing a difficult task, or doing something you love. We can see God’s kindness in love, when we are looking, in so many ways throughout our day. And this is just another way to be in the “dwelling place” with God.
So the challenge today is two fold. Can we be intentional about creating spaces to dwell with God? And can we learn to notice his hand in our lives in the mundane things of life?
Prayer
I pray that you would show me your presence in my life God. I want to know you more. Draw near to me God as I draw near to you.
Author: Christian Dunn
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