Psalm 84:1

I was still pretty ill when I meditated through this wonderful Psalm in Nov.1998. I usually took one or two verses a day, so I'll share in it in pieces.

Psalm 84

1 HOW AMIABLE ARE THY TABERNACLES, O LORD OF HOSTS!

Lord, how happy I was to find that "tabernacles" can mean "residence, dwelling place, habitation.."!Yes, what a LOVELY place is that place where YOU DWELL, in the midst of Your people and in their hearts by FAITH. Your word says, "For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his HABITATION. This is my rest for ever: here will I DWELL; for I have desired it." (Ps. 132:13-14)"...for YE are the TEMPLE of the living God; as God hath said, I will DWELL in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
(II Cor. 6:16b) "In whom YE also are builded together for a HABITATION OF GOD through the Spirit."

So You DWELL in Your people, and this is a beautiful and LOVELY thing! How WELL-BELOVED we are, and if we meditate on this hard and long, our hearts will truly rejoice! Spurgeon says, "The desire of God to dwell among the people whom he has chosen for himself is very gracious and yet very natural: his love will not rest apart from those upon whom he has placed it. God DESIRES to ABIDE with those whom he has loved with an everlasting love; and we do not wonder that it should be so, for we also desire the company of our beloved ones. It is a double marvel, that the Lord should choose and desire such
poor creatures as we are: the indwelling of the Holy Ghost in believers is a wonder of grace parallel to the incarnation of the Son of God: God in the church is the wonder of heaven, the miracle of eternity, the glory of infinite love. 'This is my rest forever.' Oh glorious words. It is God himself who here speaks. Think of rest for God! A Sabbath for the Eternal and a place of ABIDING for the Infinite. He calls Zion MY REST. Here his love remains and displays itself with delight. 'He shall rest in his love.' And this FOREVER. He will not seek another place of repose, nor grow weary of his saints...Oh, the sweetness of the thought that God DESIRES to dwell in his people and rest among them!...This is the joy of our souls, for surely we shall REST IN GOD and certainly our desire is to DWELL IN HIM."

Thank-You, Lord, for showing me these words this morning. What a glorious thing to know that You LOVE to DWELL IN ME; You LOVE ABIDING WITH ME! My heart cries to DWELL and ABIDE in Thee, too, O Lord. I in YOU and You in ME!

I long to also be "connected" with the others with whom You are ABIDING! I long for true spiritual WORSHIP together with other believers. My heart cries Your prayer of Jn. 17:21- 'That they all may be one...that they also may...be one in us: that the world may believe..."