Hope From Dwelling in God's Presence

Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,

LORD of Heaven’s armies!

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 of Heaven’s armies, my King and my God.

4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;

they are ever praising you. Selah.

Think of the places here on earth that you enjoy most. We have had the privilege of visiting some stunning and alluring locations—Yosemite National Park, with its majestic granite mountains and cascading water falls; Crater Lake, with its deep indigo water reflecting the surrounding hillsides; Astoria, with its panoramic view of Mt. Rainier far to the east, the four mile wide Columbia River directly to the north, the ragged Oregon coastline to the south, and the massive Pacific Ocean to the west. Maybe your favorite place is more of an event, like the family gathering at Christmas or Thanksgiving. My wife and I now love to spend time at the beach, just relaxing, conversing, and gazing at the waves crash against the rocks.

All of these locations and events bring their own unique source of joy and amazement. But the Psalmist reminds us that God’s presence brings us genuine and continual blessing.

Psalm 84 is twelve verses, and we will look at four each week over the next three weeks. These first four verses emphasize the blessing we enjoy from abiding or remaining in God’s presence. The Psalmist begins by declaring how lovely God’s dwelling place is. He most likely was referring to the Temple in Jerusalem. But God had made it clear that no earthly structure could house the One who created the entire universe. “This is what the LORD says: Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What house could you possibly build for Me? And what place could be My home?” (Isaiah 66:1).

So, the Temple could never contain God. But it was the place on earth where He chose to reveal Himself and call people to come to worship Him. Where does God dwell today—where does He call us to come to meet with Him? Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). We approach God’s presence wherever we are through prayer. And prayer is an amazing privilege! Prayer is available to us anytime and any place. Just get alone and turn to God through His word and prayer.

Notice that the Psalmist refers to God as the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. When we come to Him we are coming to the One who rules over heaven and earth. We are coming to One who continually watches over and protects us. His presence is lovely, in part, because it is a safe place where we can be free of fear. We will find peace in the presence of our Lord.

In the second verse, the Psalmist declares that his soul yearns for the Lord, even to the point of fainting. The word for yearn could also mean hunger or be greedy for something. Do we seek the Lord with that kind of intensity? When we spend enough time with Him, regularly, our affections will grow. Again, come to God with His word open—praying in response to what He is saying to us through scripture.

The Psalmist goes on to say that his heart (inner self) and flesh (body) cry out for the living God. Some translations substitute “sing for joy” for cry out. I think both are appropriate. We sing praise to Him and cry out in thanksgiving and in supplication. He is the One we seek, above all others and all things. As we do that, He manifests Himself to us and we sense His presence in our midst.

Verse three mentions sparrows and swallows—little birds that found the Temple to be a place of safety and peace. Sparrows are birds that Jesus spoke of as creatures of little worth in the world. But God still cares for them. “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6-7). If God provides for sparrows and welcomes them into His temple, how much more does He desire us to come to Him. Have you found a home in God’s presence, through prayer and His word?

Swallows are representative of restlessness. They flit here and there, rarely slowing down or stopping. But in God’s temple the swallow settles down and builds a nest and lays her eggs near the altar in the temple. She finds peace and safety in God’s presence. Are you restless? Are you worried? Draw close to God and find serenity. “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The Psalmist reminds us again that this One we approach is the Lord of Heaven’s armies, our King and our God.

Finally, the Psalmist declares that those who dwell in the house of the Lord are truly blessed. To dwell can mean to sit, or crouch, or remain seated. When we come to God regularly through prayer and His word, and make that our abode, we find a deep inner peace and joy. Don’t be in a hurry when fellowshipping with God. Don’t just stop by once in a while to say hi. Instead, sit at His feet, relax, and dialogue with Him. Speak to Him in prayer and listen to Him speak through His word. What a blessing to spend time with our loving Lord and Savior!