Psalm 84; Ephesians 3:14-21

How lovely is thy dwelling place,

  O Lord of hosts!

My soul longs, yea, faints

  for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and flesh sing for joy

  to the living God. (Psalms 84:1-2 RSV)

The first thing the Psalmist sees is an inner beauty that God creates by his presence: "How lovely is your dwelling place”... why he's excited about being in the presence of God. The first is the inner beauty God creates by his presence. "How lovely is your dwelling place, O God." The place where God lives, the heart where God dwells, becomes a lovely place, a beautiful spot. The Apostle Paul, in Ephesians, prays that Christ "may make his home in your hearts by faith" Ephesians 3:17), because that heart will then always be a lovely place. The character of that heart is changed…

The second thing is, he creates a compelling hunger. "My soul longs, yea, faints for the courts of the Lord." Have you ever felt this way? Have you known a deep-seated longing to have more of the glory of God, more of the sense of his presence in your life? Have you fed upon his Word and been satisfied, and yet as you went away, felt a hunger for more? It is a strange paradox, this wonderful ability God has to satisfy us and at the same time make us hungry for more.

Then the third thing is the joyful vitality that the presence of God gives. “My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.’ This is an exciting experience and is exactly what God has meant life to be.– Ray Stedman (READ more of this devotion HERE)

Thank you, Jesus, for your sweet presence that is with me every moment of every day. Thank you for this week of repentance and for the great promise of your forgiveness. As a result of your purifying work in my heart, allow me to be drawn into greater intimacy with you. Wrap your arms around me and whisper your message of love and encouragement into my ears. Open my eyes to see your face and to experience your manifest presence in a new and powerful way. Lord, I desperately need you to make it through this day. Amen.