Summer Psalms - Week 5: Dwelling with God
Bible: Psalm 84
Bottom Line: Spending time with God is what keeps us going.

The importance of “home.”

Psalm 84:1-10
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
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the Valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
each one appears before God in Zion.
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed!
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.

Think about the most comfortable place you’ve ever been.

“There's no place like home” from the movie The Wizard of Oz MTV called Cribs.

In the Old Testament, the Tabernacle was the dwelling place of the God of Israel, who is our God.

Psalm 84 was written as a longing for the future.

Psalm 84:10… For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere….

Psalm 84:10…I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

So how do we get to this dwelling place?

We simply need to seek God's presence.

Because God tells us that we will find Him if we seek Him with all of our hearts.

Life won’t always be easy.

But there is a dwelling place for us, as Christians.

As we experience the highs and lows of the journey, spending time with God is what keeps us going.

Psalm 84:11-12
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.
12 Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.

We can rest in God’s presence and find hope there.

For the Week Ahead...
1) If you could have your dream home, what is one cool thing that you would have in your house?
2) What is something about your home that brings you comfort?

3) Is there a time when your home isn't the best or most comfortable place to be?

4) Psalm 84 is a worship song. Are there any worship songs that help you dwell in God's presence?