Longing for the Courts of The Lord

It is evident from Psalm 84 that the author was deprived (for some reason unknown to us) of the privileges of being in the presence of God — there is a deep longing for God's house, for His presence. In this sermon, we focus our attention on the opening four verses of this Psalm.

Firstly, we consider the loveliness and the pleasant beauty of the House of God. The place of worship was so dear to the Psalmist's heart. He expresses spiritual hunger for the presence of God not only because of the loveliness of being found in the presence of God but also because that is where he would meet with God in a special way. He says in verse 10, "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 dwell in the tents of wickedness". We too must long to be in the presence of God together with others that He has joined to Himself through his Son.

Secondly, we consider the deepest longing of the heart for the courts of the Lord. The intensity of the Psalmist's desire is clearly expressed in verse 2. So strong is this desire in the Psalmist's heart that it makes him faint and almost brings him to spiritual exhaustion. His whole nature; body and soul — all his desires and aspirations cry out for communion with the living God. In the first of the seven Psalms of the sons of Korah (Ps 42), we find a similar expression — "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God".

Thirdly, we consider the inward pain over the inability to be in the place of worship. This we see in verses 3 and 4, where the Psalmist envies those who have the privilege of being in the house of God.

We ought not to take for granted the privileges of worshiping our God. It is a wonderful privilege to have the freedom and liberty to worship our God corporately. There are many people in different parts of the world who cannot meet freely and worship God. Our whole nature requires the benefits which spring from the worship of God. Body and soul were made for the service of God, and we can never fully satisfy the necessities of our bodies and souls without religion. The Lord Jesus Christ puts this in a rather succinct way — "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matt 4:4). We must constantly reflect on what a blessing it is to dwell in the house of The Lord. This isn't only a blessing for the present, as is captured in Psalm 23:6. We typically experience the preciousness of God more in seasons of adversity than seasons of prosperity. This is the warning given by Moses to the children of Israel on the verge of entering the promised land in Deuteronomy 8:10-18. We are prone to such forgetfulness in the midst of plenty. Many people who have drifted away from the Lord have done so in the midst of plenty, because they feel they do not need God anymore.

How strong is your longing for God's house? How strong is your longing for the worship of God? How deep is your longing for the nearness and the presence of God? The Psalmist did not miss the songs and the friends much more than he missed and longed for the conscious presence of God as the living helper, as the guide, as the comforter of his soul.