“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….Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising you.” - (Psalm 84:1-2,4)
Sometimes I feel like I live at the church. When I’m not here, I’m thinking about what I would be doing if I were here, and what I will be doing the next time I am here. But I consider this a blessing, for there is no place I would rather be than in the house of God. When I walk through these doors, I feel like I’m home.
In Old Testament times, the presence of God resided in His temple. I can understand why the Psalmist desired to live there. Today, through His Spirit, the presence of God can reside with us personally, wherever we go. Paul says that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). We should be praising God always, wherever we are, because He is always with us.
That being said, there is still something different about worshiping at the church, a place dedicated to God and to His work. There is something different about singing in my shower, and singing in the sanctuary, even when it is empty. And if I may be so bold, there is something different about singing on Sunday morning in front of your computer, and singing in a room full of people praising God with one voice. If you are physically able to make it to church, I encourage you to do so. May we all yearn to live in the courts of the Lord!
In Christ, Amy Smith
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