How lovely is your dwelling place,
LORD Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young -
a place near your altar,
LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
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.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
LORD Almighty,
blessed is the one who trusts in you.
~Psalm 84:1-4, 10-12~
I love being with other believers, worshiping together. But it's not just physically being at church that is what draws me. Or it shouldn't be just that. It's the presence of God that we long for, that our hearts cry out for. Those that observe this traditional Lenten season seek God in a special way during this time, but all of us that are Christ-followers should always be looking to draw closer to our God and to remember that he IS present with us always.
This is beautiful. I am a sporadic church goer. I have never found a church that I truly feel I belong in. I am usually by myself and find that worshipers are not very friendly woman who attend alone.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry that you haven't felt a warm welcome or that you belong. It's such a blessing to be part of a church family, and I pray that you do find that experience for yourself. :-)
DeleteIs that a picture of your church home? What a lovely place--and I also am grateful for my own church family. Sometimes we walk through the door without much faith of our own, but the borrowed faith and hope from our brothers and sisters pushes us forward until we find our way back to joy.
ReplyDeleteThis church isn't the one I attend - one that is close by though. And yes, that's what worshiping with others can and should do for us!
DeleteBeautiful picture. It has been so long since I have heard the song and it was wonderful to listen to it this morning! Be blessed today!
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful Psalm to share.
ReplyDeleteYes, we should gather in community to worship God and experience His presence.
Thanks for joining this week's 40 Days of Seeking Him. I love seeing what others are writing about during this season.