A Doorkeeper’s Prayer
Have you ever just needed to get into the presence of the LORD? Maybe it was because your strength was waning in the valley…maybe it was because of a report from the doctor and you needed a second opinion from the one who has the power to heal miraculously… or maybe it was because of some trouble on the job or in your home that threatened to turn your life upside down and you needed peace in the midst of the storm. Whatever it was that drove your need or your desire to get into the presence of the LORD and seek His face, the psalmist understands. He understands the blessings that emanate from being in the presence of the LORD. In Psalm 84, he expresses his deep desire and joy at not just being in the presence of the living God, but to staying in His presence and serving to Him. My prayer this week is that you will find the fulfillment and the blessings that come from satisfying our deepest need… to get in and live in the presence of the Living God. Amen!
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. (Psalm 84:1-4) There is urgency, joy and a deep need to be in God’s presence, for those who love the LORD. The psalmist’s soul, heart and flesh reacted to his fervent desire to be where God is. According to the psalmist, even the birds were wise enough to make their home at the house of the LORD and find rest and blessings there. So blessed are they that make their dwelling place in God, that they are ever praising Him. “Ever praising” indicates that the praise is not one time, but it’s reflective of a life of ongoing praise. I want to dwell in the LORD’s presence and be blessed!
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. (Psalm 84:5-7) Blessed are those whose strength is in God…the LORD Almighty! And whose heart is set on the pilgrimage, recognizing that we are just pilgrims (travelers) here on earth. Our ultimate goal is to be with God, the one in whom we find our strength. We are just traveling through this place of tears, trials and tribulations (Valley of Baka), on our way to Zion... Heaven is our home.
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. (Psalm 84:8-12)
The Psalmist asked God to hear his prayer. And not just hear him, but listen to him. How many times have we fervently asked God to hear our prayer and incline His ear to us? To give us mercy, grace and favor? The psalmist expressed his great love for God and his desire just to be in His house. The psalmist placed great value on being in the presence of God. He expressed that just one day with God was worth more to him than a thousand days being anywhere else. And that being a doorkeeper (barely across the entrance or threshold) in God’s house was of greater value to him than living in the transient and temporal places of the wicked. Finally, he indicated that dwelling with God was not enough, but it’s trusting in God that led to being blessed. We should have that same viewpoint as the psalmist. The things of this world pale in comparison to the blessings we receive from trusting in the LORD and seeking to be in His presence!
An infamous incident that is chronicled in the Bible is “Korah’s rebellion”. In jealousy and opposition to the leadership of Moses and the priesthood of Aaron, Korah led an insurrection against them. God put down the rebellion, killing all of those involved. Psalm 84 is attributed to the descendants of Korah (sons of Korah) who were blessed to hold the position of gatekeepers in the temple. Perhaps their praise and prayer to be blessed to meet with God was because He didn’t condemn them for Korah’s rebellion. Just like we are not condemned for the actions of our ancestors (or even our own past actions). The joy and appreciation of being able to be in the presence of the living God despite all of our imperfections, comes through in this psalm. It’s clear that it’s not the temple building or its beautiful furnishings that the psalmist desires, the focal point of his desire is to meet with God. That should be our desire too. Whether I have been seated in a service at Westminster Abbey in London or in a church building converted from an old supermarket on the west side of Detroit…or in no church at all, the only thing that matters to me is that I can meet with God and worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Because whenever I can get into His presence, it’s the only place I want to be. Korah’s sin was trying to take the power and authority of God for himself. His descendants realized that the true blessing came from trusting God and seeking His presence. And that's the essence… of a doorkeeper’s prayer!
Blessings,
Rev. Glenn
“I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” ~ Rev. 21:22
Let this song usher your spirit into worship wherever it is that you are preparing to meet with the Living God this week! Before The Throne by Shekinah Glory Ministry
