- Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. Psalm 84:5 – I adore the message of this psalm, for it lifts high how wonderful it is to be in the presence of our God. How all are welcome to come to His house, from the greatest to the smallest. In His courts will be joy beyond comparison and a single day there is better than a thousand anywhere else. With such a place like that, it makes sense that our verse says those who have a heart to go there are blessed. Our verse highlights that those who have a heart for going to God’s house are blessed. The ESV translation speaks of “highways” but your translation my say something about pilgrimage. Both mean the same thing, it’s the idea that we understand this world is not our home, but we’re pilgrims, traveling through this life on the highway to God’s presence. Our mind, heart, and eyes are not settled on anything of this world, but on Jesus alone and that’s where we’re heading. Once again, we see that such a posture finds blessing in this life. Today though maybe you aren’t so keen on the idea of being a pilgrim in this life just waiting to be in God’s presence. Maybe you like this world and what this world has to offer you. If that’s your story, I just invite you to remember what God gives us in this world, then imagine if everything God gives was taken away. What you’d realize is even the joys that come from things in this world wouldn’t be there if God’s joy wasn’t still woven into it somehow. The wonders of this world are just to wet our appetite to the wonders of Heaven. Let’s make God’s courts the place we long for more than anything of this world, for there will be the joys evermore that we long for. Yet until we’re there, let’s be inviting as many with us as possible. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3498
- 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. Psalms 84:10 – Clearly this is someone who has tasted and seen how good God is and what beauty there is within His presence. How marvelous could a thousands days anywhere you could possibly imagine could be? Yet this psalmist writes he’d trade all that for a day in God’s courts. He’d rather stand in the doorway holding doors there than be a welcomed guest enjoying the splendors in the places of the wicked. These courts must be something. If they are in the presence of the universe creator they must be. God is so much better than you can imagine. How then would your life be different today if this understanding of God led it? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1147
- 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. Psalm 84:1-2 – How deeply can you relate with the passion in the voice of our psalmist? Here we see he loves being in God’s presence. He longs to be in the space where God is. His heart and whole being is singing for joy to his God. This guy is passionate about being in the room with God. Again our question is asked, how deeply can you relate with the psalmist’s passion? Does the idea of coming into God’s presence to worship Him overflow you with joy or could something actually take more importance so you pass on the opportunity of worship? Do you long for time with Jesus? Does your heart feel weak when you haven’t gotten a chance to have closeness with Jesus in awhile? Our psalmist loves being in the presence of his God. I know for myself I love Jesus, but sometimes my heart isn’t always at this level of passion about my pursuit of Jesus. If that’s you as well, then choose with me today to be passionate about it. Maybe you aren’t noticing the faint feelings, maybe you aren’t overjoyed in this moment about your walk with Jesus, but regardless choose to pursue Him with all you have. Maybe the joy isn’t there yet, but the moment you truly come into the courts of our Father’s house we’ll taste a joy that is unmatched by anything else in this life. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2044
Daily DEVO 