“How lovely are your dwelling places, O Lord God of hosts!
My soul longed, and even yearned for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.”
Psalm 84:1-2, NASB

To be invited into the courts of the king has always been a huge honor. Especially, if the honor is bestowed upon one who has found his sovereign’s favor. To find the favor of the King of kings brings joy beyond imagination. Is this our mindset when we gather together for worship on Sunday morning? Do we regard the place where we gather as sacred and holy? My fear is that in our zeal to emphasize that the church is not the building but the people in it, we have lost all regard for the place itself.

It’s true that the church building holds no particular quality that renders it special in God’s economy. However, when Sunday morning comes and God’s people gather for true worship, it is transformed into the throne-room of Almighty God. It has nothing to do with the wood, brick, and mortar, but is entirely due to who is there. In that place, the saints of God are assembled to offer praise and worship to the King. And, it is His presence that makes that place special.

Followers of Christ have always been transient. We go from place to place wherever God calls us. We don’t have a single place on earth that we regard as sacred. We don’t worship a building. That being said, let’s not lose the idea of God’s house. It’s not the brick, stone, wood, or carpet that make it so. It’s what happens there. Wherever we gather, be it a building, a room in a school, or a clearing in the woods; it’s God’s house because God’s people are gathered there to honor, worship, and praise their sovereign King.

“O God, do not remain quiet; Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still. For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, And those who hate You have exalted themselves.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭83:1-2‬ ‭

There are few things more frustrating to a follower of Christ than our own inability to silence the critic, the denier, or the scoffer of our Great God and Savior. We wonder why, with God’s power so clearly on display, any sentient being could be so far off in their conclusions about the nature, the majesty, and the sovereign power of God.

It is even more disheartening when the deniers are those who should know better—those with the benefit of exposure to spiritual blessings and the power of the gospel. However, it should not surprise us. Ever since the fall of man, there have been those who “suppress the truth in unrighteousness,” (Romans 1:18) those for whom the wrath of God awaits.

We live at a moment in history when those of us who know and follow Christ are met with rabid hostility from a world that grows increasingly more depraved; where immorality and sin is not only approved, but applauded. More than inciting our anger, this should incite our pity. We must recognize that the current displays of depravity serve as reminders that judgment and condemnation await those who stand in opposition to the truth. King Jesus will return, and they must “give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead,” (1 Peter 4:5).

There will be a day of reckoning. The day will come when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, (Philippians 2:10-11) For some, this will be the most blessed event imaginable. For many, this reality will come too late. As we await, with anticipation, the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, may our prayer continually be…

“That they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord, Are the Most High over all the earth.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭83:18‬

“Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; and deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.”

So often in the psalms of lament, we see the psalmist cry for deliverance from the circumstances causing his lamentation. This particular psalm is also an imprecatory prayer in that he calls on God to pour out His wrath on those kingdoms who do no know Him, (Psalm 79:6). Here, as we see in most of these types of psalms, the motivation for the psalmist’s plea is God’s glory. He is calling for God to avenge His holy name.

This should give us pause for a few reasons. First, we must recognize that God’s name is synonymous with His person. In Exodus 3 when Moses inquired of God His name, God responded with “I AM WHO I AM,” (Exodus 3:14). God is the absolute ultimate being, and His name is not a simple moniker. It is, in essence and in reality, who He is. God’s ancient people understood this clearly and forbid His name to be uttered. Jesus also knew this to be true, a fact that gives such gravity to Christ’s words when He said, “…before Abraham was, I AM,” (John 8:58). There, Jesus is saying, just as to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”  Jesus Christ is, in fullness, God.

Second, we need to understand that God’s care for us is not simply because He’s nice, and we’re so lovable and deserving of good treatment. God is preserving for Himself, “…a people of His own possession,” that we would “…proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called (us) out of darkness into His maervelous light,” (1 Peter 2:9). In short, He has saved us and continues to preserve us for Himself—for His own glory.

Third, we need to feel the full weight of the position this puts us in as His people. We are His, living among people that will look to us to model Christ in a world that grows increasingly more hostile to Him. We cannot claim the salvation of Christ while rejecting the lordship of Christ. He is, to us, both or neither.  Our purpose and primary mission is to present Christ to a broken and fallen world regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in. We are to faithfully serve Him, and He will take care of the rest.

While it is right for us to pray for God’s care and provision, we must remember that God is absolutely sovereign and He takes His own glory seriously. Likewise, so should we. When we pray for Him to provide for our needs, right our wrongs, and fix our circumstances, is it His name that is supreme in our minds? Or do we think that because we have taken the time to pray that we somehow deserve His favor? We must remember that we are simply clay in the Master Potter’s hand. Pray that what He makes of us will bring Him glory.

This psalm consists of four stanzas, each separated by the Hebrew word Selah. In the first two, Asaph is focused on the trials and tribulations of the Hebrew people. Here he asks if God has turned away from His people forever. In the third stanza his focus moves from the troubles around him to the Lord and all that God has done for his children. The final stanza, he offers praise to God for His power, sovereignty, and glory.

In this song Asaph is a troubled soul. While it’s unclear what is specifically happening to cause his grief, it is clear that his concerns are not only for himself, but also for the nation. It’s not that he isn’t mindful of God’s graciousness to Israel, it’s just that remembering doesn’t lift the cloud over him.

It can be the same for us, can’t it? In the midst of a storm, we remind ourselves of the love and power of God, but that doesn’t always make us feel better because it doesn’t make the storm go away. The problem may be that our perspective needs to change. Just as in the picture, the tornado and the rainbow can seemingly converge at the same spot–right where we are.

Psalm 77:10 is where Asaph’s perspective changes. “Then I said, “It is my grief, That the right hand of the Most High has changed.” He remembers who God is and what He has done. Suddenly his lamentations turn to praise. The trial has not abated for him, just his grief.

God does not promise that life will be easy, or that He will always take away our trials. But, He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us. He may not always calm the storm, but He will give us all we need to weather it.

“Sometimes He holds us close, and lets the wind and waves go wild; Sometimes He calms the storm and other times He calms His child.” –Kevin Stokes and Tony Wood