The House of God

I'm enjoying the Psalms immensely. There is so much good stuff in there. The psalmists praise and complain. They rejoice and cry. They thank God and pray. They run the gamut of emotions, but always -- always -- they glorify God.

One thing I have found interesting as I've been going through the Psalms is the many references to the house of God. Some might argue, "God is everywhere; we don't have to go to some physical place to be in His presence." And that would be technically true. Still, there is an amazing perspective offered on the house of God in the Psalms:

I, through the abundance of Your steadfast love, will enter Your house. I will bow down toward Your holy temple in the fear of You (Psa. 5:7).

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever (Psa. 23:6).

O LORD, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells (Psa. 26:8).

One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple (Psa. 27:4).

How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light (Psa. 36:7-9).

Blessed is the one You choose and bring near, to dwell in Your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple (Psa. 65:4)!

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, ever singing Your praise (Psa. 84:4)!

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 (Psa. 84:10).

What a deep longing we find in the Psalms to be in the house of God. You've heard the unbeliever say, for instance, that it's better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven. The sons of Korah would beg to differ. "I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God," they proclaim. In the house of God there is steadfast love. In the house of God there is light and life. In the house of God His glory dwells.

In the early days of America, towns were built in an interesting fashion. The town center was always the same: a church. The focal point of the town was God's house. Today we generally have economic centers at the core of our cities. It bespeaks the shift in our nation's emphasis. I pray that, while the nation shifts, believers recall the wonders of being in the house of the Lord. That is where true abundance and satisfaction can be found.