THE HOUSE OF THE LORD

Psalms 27:4

Morning Meditation 3/10/2013

"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple."

THE HOUSE OF THE LORD IS A HOUSE OF CONTEMPLATION

This is a psalm of David. He was a man after God's own heart. This is one of the reasons. David loved God close up. He wanted to be where he could communicate with God and honor Him with his presence in His house. This is quite an indictment against those church members who look for excuses to miss the services in God's house.

When David says, "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after." This does not mean that this was the ONLY thing that David would seek after. It means this is at the top of the list. David hungered for God's presence. Note the following important things that David says in this verse:

1. David believes that God is a prayer answering God. So he prays. If we believe that there is a God, we will seek Him out in prayer; Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

2. David sought the Lord. He wanted his relationship to be personal. He says his desire is to, "behold the beauty of the LORD . . .." Now if that was possible for David, it is more so with us: Hebrews 10:18-22, "Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."

3. Note his desire to DWELL in the house of the Lord. David was not just a casual believer nor was attending the LORD'S house a burden. He wanted to be in his daily life where God was. David is not seeking a visit with the LORD, he wanted to dwell in the house of the LORD.

4. This was a permanent commitment. What he wanted was permanence. David didn't want to love God at a distance nor for a short time. His desire was permanent.

5. David wanted to behold the beauty of the Lord. Many miss seeing the beauty of the Lord because they have not learned to walk by faith. Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

6. David wanted a prayer life where he sought God's guidance. There is nothing the Christian needs more than the guidance of the Lord. The Lord has already lived life successfully. He knows all the temptations that we face, He knows what is over the next hill, and around the next corner.

The house of the Lord is a place of contemplation. It is also,

A PLACE OF SATISFACTION

Psalms 36:8, "They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures."

1. Abundant satisfaction. David knew temporary satisfaction. He also knew the satisfaction of living in close proximity to the LORD. The word "satisfaction" means, "to be satiated or saturated." Think of being saturated in God. This verb is in the imperfect tense which speaks of continuous non ending "abundant satisfaction."

2. David says, "thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures." There is nothing that man can do in partaking of the pleasures of this life that will even begin to compare with the glorified believer in the eternal state.

3. Again it is the house of God where we learn to experience the pleasure of His presence.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White