The Courts of God
2-2-04

The moment we enter through the Gate of Jesus Christ, by believing in Him for the forgiveness of our sins, we dramatically altered our eternity; "I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved" (John 10:9). We were once blind and destined for eternal separation from God, but now we "see" and will spend eternity as His child in Heaven. After passing through the Gate, God begins to conform us "to the likeness of His Son" (Romans 8:29), until our sole desire is to bring Him glory and praise His name forever.

At times, this process can be painful. It can hurt to strip away layers of pride and crawl from under the dominion of our old sinful nature - it can hurt to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus. But as we persevere and catch a glimpse of His glory, we will never again desire to be away from His presence.

Psalm 84:10
"Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked."

A single day in the presence of God is better than a thousand days anywhere else - better than ANYTHING this world can offer. If we do not believe this truth, we have not yet been in His presence - we have not yet tasted the sweet fruit of His Spirit. And if we believe and have experienced the peaceful joy of His courts but are now consumed and burdened by the trials of this world, then perhaps we've simply forgotten how sweet and fulfilling His presence can be.

Let me paraphrase the second part of the above verse: "I would rather be the lowest and most insignificant servant in the house of God so as to be near Him than to live as a ruler in the greatest of mansions but apart from His presence." This passion to be in the presence of God is also recorded earlier: "My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God" (Psalm 84:2).

Our Heavenly Father longs for us to have this same passion in our life; "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise" (Psalm 100:4). And if this passion has faded due to distractions and entanglements, then He's calling us to return. The courts of God's holy temple now reside within every believer; "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that His Spirit lives in you" (1 Corinthians 3:16). His presence is available to us right now! No matter how distant we feel, He's closer than we think.

Let's fill His temple with praise! Let's return to a life focused on passionate worship. Let's determine to spend every moment of every day rejoicing in the courts of God.

Have A Great Day!