Better is One Day

Psalms 84:1-12

How lovely is Your dwelling place, LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near Your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising You. Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. Hear my prayer, LORD God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob. Look on our shield, O God; look with favor on Your anointed one. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless. LORD Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in You.

https://youtu.be/eZHpTARIL-8 Ps John Piper preached “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him”, St. Paul tells the Philippians, “ I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Phi 1:20-21).” Christ is our most invaluable treasure that we’d like to remain in His presence forever, but yet He is our most precious love that spending a day within His courts is infinitely better than a thousand or more days elsewhere (v. 10). This is such a Near/Middle Eastern expression, better to live one day as a lion than a thousand as a lamb, we’d rather have a short period of time spent with God than to live long devoid of His presence. But how much more, if the experience is multiplied infinitely? Moses implored, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. "For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth (Exo 33:15-16)?” Without God this life is mere futility and we will continue to be this cosmic orphan destined for entropy, a random vacuum fluctuation of meaningless life in the vast dead universe. Let us draw near today and seek His face, His very presence in our life. Indeed we seek to dwell in His lovely house forever (Psa 27:4). We end up praising God when we experience His presence because He brings joy and peace that only He can. CS Lewis wrote something perceptive about praise: “I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.” It is delightful and a most desirable pursuit to seek God and honour Him, seek His Kingdom and His righteousness and all our needs are met, and our satisfaction guaranteed; trust in Him and be blessed (v. 12): “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matt 6:33).”