Sunday, April 27, 2008
Psalm 84:1-4
84:1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
ever singing your praise! Selah (ESV)
by Linda Harris
Most translations of Psalm 84:1 use the word lovely to describe the temple. The King James says “amiable.” The Hebrew word is yadid, meaning beloved. The psalmist held deep affection for the temple and its beauty. He envied those who lived in the temple, including priests, Levites and even birds (84:3-4). He yearned to be in the courts of the Lord.
Though we can worship God anywhere, there’s something wonderful about entering a quiet sanctuary. God’s peace seems more present in a house of worship. Do you long to go to church each week? Can you hardly wait to worship God? Why or why not?
Copyright Information
Daily Bible Meditations are taken from The Helping Hand,a Sabbath School student quarterly for youth and adults. Copyright © 2008, Seventh Day Baptist Board of Christian Education, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked "ESV" are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service .
dbm