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By Ho Sweet Meng
‘Better is one day in your courts, Better is one day in your house, Than thousands elsewhere.’
At a recent Breakthrough Weekend I attended, the lyrics of the above song taken from Psalm 84:10a was sung. Verse 10b continues as follows: “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”
These lines reminded me of King David’s request in Psalm 27:4: “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: 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 seek him in his temple.”
The one thing that King David asked was also what he sought. “To dwell in the House of the Lord so that he could gaze upon his beauty and seek him in his temple.” ‘House of the Lord’ and ‘temple’ could be interpreted as ‘the courts of the Lord’. In a nutshell, King David desires to be in God’s court where his glory dwells, to be in his presence, to spend time to commune and fellowship with him, to know his Lord in an intimate manner, as well as his will and heartbeat.
Psalm 84:1-2, 4 declares that ‘the dwelling place of the Lord is lovely, and the psalmist yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord.’ It describes a heart longing and desiring God, where nothing on earth satisfies other than the pleasure of being in his presence, discovering who he is, loving him, understanding him and having a greater knowledge of him.
Reflecting the past year, I asked myself where I have spent my time. In the courts of the Lord? Elsewhere? In the tents of the wicked? I must say not as much in the courts of the Lord as I would love to. My prayer this year is to ask God to instill in me a continual desire and longing to spend time with him in his courts. To tell him when all is said and done – “Lord, you are all I want.”
This desire requires me to intentionally set aside time to be with him, to read and meditate on his word, to share with him my deepest thoughts, concerns, anxieties, happy & sad moments and to pray in his presence. Concentrate on just being with him, the lover of my soul. Wait silently and patiently on him to speak. Daily protection of this time is of utmost importance to ensure that nothing distracts, deters or causes me to miss this precious time being with him.
Having such moments is a blessing. The Bible promises that our life journeys will be strengthen as we pursue him daily and draw near to him. We will grow from strength to strength as we know God and who he is – his character, his heartbeat, what he likes and hates, his will and desire for us. Knowing him helps us to change our perspectives in life, to better able to handle and cope with life’s obstacles and difficulties, to walk more in his ways and to live transformed lives bearing attitude and action fruits. And in the day of trouble, he promises to keep us safe in his dwelling; he will hide us in the shelter of his tabernacle and set us high upon a rock.
‘Indeed better is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere.’ If you have neglected him and spent your time elsewhere, he is calling you TODAY… “RETURN, COME and DRAW NEAR to me and be found in my courts.” Will you?