How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
I long, yes, I faint with longing
to enter the courts of the Lord.
With my whole being, body and soul,
I will shout joyfully to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young
at a place near your altar,
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!
What joy for those who can live in your house,
always singing your praises.
What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord,
who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
When they walk through the Valley of Weeping,
it will become a place of refreshing springs.
The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.
They will continue to grow stronger,
and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.
O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer.
Listen, O God of Jacob.
O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield!
Show favor to the one you have anointed.
A single day in your courts
is better than a thousand anywhere else!
I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God
than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.
He gives us grace and glory.
The Lord will withhold no good thing
from those who do what is right.
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
what joy for those who trust in you.
-Psalm 84
This Psalm is one of my very favorites. Last Spring, these words got me through an instense emotional season.
“When we walk through The Valley of weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.”
My tears during that time where being collected and use later down the road for refreshing and blessings. it was one of the most comforting moments of my life, when I read that verse a year ago.
Now i find myself reading through chapters 80-89 when Im bored. Lately I’ve been struggling with getting words out and writing from my heart. Keeping up with blogs is difficult sometimes when trying to share my thoughts I haven’t even processed through. Thankfully David comes in clutch with his words and I find myself relating a lot to him. Crying out to God, asking for new perspectives, for healing, and for discipline, seem to be a daily conversation with the Lord. I felt compelled to share Psalm 84 with you all. Let’s praise all the wonderfully things that come to us when we set our minds on Him.
What joy it is to know you Abba, to wake up with you, to grow with you.
