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LIVING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD (Psalm 87)

Jerusalem is mentioned over 800 times in the Word of God. It is, in every sense of the word, God’s city.

“Thus saith the Lord God; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her.” (Ezekiel 5:5) It is the center of the entire world according to this verse.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!” (Luke 13:34). Jerusalem is the Lord’s favorite city, yet it is a city He will judge.

There is no place quite like Jerusalem - that is what Psalm 87 is about.

Verse 1: “His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.”

Why is Jerusalem emphasized to us to such a degree? Jerusalem is symbolic of the presence of God. It was the site of the temple, where the Lord met with His people as they came to worship.

Walk through Psalm 87 and see all the things that are true about Jerusalem. You will find things that God wants to be true in our lives...if we choose to live in His presence.

The "foundation" mentioned in verse 1 suggests stability, which comes from the presence of God.

Verse 3: “Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.” Notice that it is no longer the city of David. It is the city of God.

Verse 4: “I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there.”

There is strength, as evidenced by the list of enemies. Every one of them fell because God was stronger than they were. When you live in His presence, God gives you His strength.

Verse 5: “And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her.”

There is significance. It was a big deal to say that you were born in Jerusalem or that you came from Zion. Why is that? Because your life was being connected to the presence of God. The only real or lasting significance that any human being has is in his or her relationship to almighty God.

Verses 6-7: “The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah. As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.”

There is a song in the presence of God. There is a joy that comes from living there.

I want to concentrate now on the final phrase of Psalm 87: “all my springs are in thee.” Why would this description of Jerusalem end this way?

The springs are a picture of life-giving water, of divine sufficiency, of dependence on the Lord. We can draw from Him for the rest of our lives. Every good thing we have in this life springs from His presence.

The way to always have a song while you serve Him, to stay right but also be bright, is to learn to constantly draw from His presence. The last phrase of this psalm is the key to unlocking spiritual blessings.

Here are a few simple thoughts:

The Fountain.

The source of every good thing is God. The Bible says in James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

When Jesus met the woman at the well in John 4, He did not offer her just a drink. He offered the entire well. He wanted her to have that fountain of living water inside of her from then on.

God does not fill us with good things just to fill us. He does it to flow through us. God wants our lives to be springs of blessing for other people so that they will not thirst.

The Freshness.

Why did the psalmist use the word “springs”? Because they are not stagnant. They are always fresh and flowing, a stark contrast to a stagnant body of water like the Dead Sea. This is the kind of life God wants for us, so that what is flowing in will also be flowing out.

An Artesian well is a special kind of well. It does not need to be pumped; the water always rushes out on its own. It only needs the removal of whatever may be obstructing it.

That is a picture of the Christian life. When we get our sin and their obstructions out of God’s way, His life-giving power flows with freshness. You may get stale, but our God is perennially fresh.

The Fullness.

That word “all” is not there by accident. All that we need is found in Jesus. As the hymn writer put it:

All that I have is Jesus

All that I claim is Jesus

All that I want, all that I need

All that I plead is Jesus

Are you anxious today? All peace is in Jesus.

Are you tempted today? All purity is in Jesus.

Are you weak today? All real power is in Jesus.

Are you empty today? All true pleasure is in Jesus.

Are you needy today? All provision is in Jesus.

This simple expression “all my springs are in thee” is the key to opening up the blessing. When the psalmist wrote this, he was not referencing a place. He was writing about a Person.

This is not just about Jerusalem. It is about Jehovah God. It is not about a geographic location, but a spiritual truth: only a life lived in the divine presence of God draws from that sufficiency every day.

The Faith.

He was not referencing the nation when he wrote, “all my springs are in thee.” He was talking about himself. It was personal and it was real when it became appropriated.

You must get to the place where your greatest desire is to live in the presence of God, and that is what brings you the greatest joy.

Tell the Lord today that everything you need is in Him, and that you will be leaning on Him.

There is a parallel of sorts in Hosea 14:8, which says, “From me is thy fruit found.” Our life comes from Him.

May God help you today to live every moment consciously in the presence of Jesus Christ.