Psalm 84

To the leader: according to The Gittith. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.

¹ How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
² My soul longs, indeed it faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.

³ 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.
⁴ Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise. Selah

⁵ Happy are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.^[a]
6 As they go through the valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.
⁷ They go from strength to strength;
the God of gods will be seen in Zion.

⁸ O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
⁹ Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed.

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 live in the tents of wickedness.
¹¹ For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
he bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does the Lord withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
¹² O Lord of hosts,
happy is everyone who trusts in you

Pausing on the Lord’s Day for worship is something that God’s people have done for generations. And while we can worship God anywhere, being in the house of the Lord allows us to focus on God.

The musical prelude may serve as that transition from the noise and distractions of the world, to an intense focus on the Word of Life. (A day in God’s courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.)

Prayer

Let my heart and my soul soar to your holy presence as I dwell in your house in worship. Amen.