Searching for a Dwelling Place.

This morning God led me to Psalm 84:

"How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns and even faints,
For the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh cry out
for the living God."

I like to remember that God is a King and a Lord and that we are His people. I like to remember that I am a servant of the Lord God, that he is my King, that he calls me his daughter. I can't even fathom what the courts of the Lord look like, but I would be bold enough to say that they are glorious, full of peace, praise and reverence. Psalm 84 goes on to say:

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.
⁴ Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
   they are ever praising you.
 ⁵ Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
   whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
⁶ As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
   they make it a place of springs;
   the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
⁷ They go from strength to strength,
   till each appears before God in Zion.
 ⁸ Hear my prayer, LORD God Almighty;
   listen to me, God of Jacob.
⁹ Look on our shield, O God;
   look with favor on your anointed one.
 ¹⁰ 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.
¹¹ 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.

After reading this, I want to be in God's dwelling place. This place of favor and strength. This place where I find a home and shield where I go from strength to strength. A place where I am ever-praising God for his greatness. I could go for that.

The word dwell means to live as a resident and reside. Where do you consider to be your dwelling place? I think of mine as my quiet apartment, in the middle of the trees, with the trails outside. I busy myself all day long. I rush, rush, rush, get home, drop my bags, inhale deeply and let myself settle in. At times, even my home is not a place of rest... it is another to-do list, more homework, paying bills, cleaning. The in-and-out every day stuff.

Now I am not sure about your dwelling place, but it sounds like God's place has quite a few advantages over my own.

Tyler and I are currently looking at new apartments. On our hunt we consider all factors. The amenities, the extras, the garage, the pool, the ceiling height, ohhh crown molding! Wow, a coffee bar, a nice work out facility. :) It's kind of funny to think of how much each detail matters. Then I think of God's amenities at his house. Peace, favor, protection, praise, happiness, good things, strength... ummmm YES PLEASE. Show me where to sign up! I think that in my search for a new apartment God reminded me of all the perks of his dwelling place.

Sometimes, we allow our hearts and thoughts to dwell other places. In worry, fear, doubt, a situation or conversation. I will go ahead and say that I am by no means innocent of this! There have definitely been times that I have thought, "You know what? I think I will pack up my bags and move into worrying about this now. I think I will become a temporary resident of worry!"  But the dwelling place of the Lord is where we are meant to be. It is where we renew our strength, hope and peace. The sweetness of God's dwelling place is that it is accessible all day, every day. When our dwelling place is with the Lord in his presence, we do not ever have to leave his peace.

How do we dwell in God's place when there are so many things that pull us in other directions? We do this through prayer. It doesn't have to be out loud or twenty minutes long, though it can be. God knows our heart and hears our thoughts. He hears the quiet prayers through out the day. The one sentence plea, the murmurs. He hears you. When we pray, we can choose His place over any other and we get all the "amenities" from being in His dwelling place. Along with the best part, a closer relationship with Him.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend and choose God's dwelling place!