Long for the Courts of the Lord

Have you ever fainted? I haven’t, but I’ve come close. In fact, every time I do bloodwork or get a shot, my body draws close to fainting. One of the causes that leads to fainting is a change in heart condition or a heart problem, and while the Psalmist in Psalm 84 is referring to his soul fainting for the courts of the Lord and not his body, he does have a heart problem.

His heart problem is that he longs to be in the courts of the Lord and not where he currently is. He desires so badly to be in the dwelling place of God and so desperate to be there, that his soul faints and he even becomes jealous of the sparrow that finds a home and the swallow that finds a nest that she may lay her young at God’s altars.

Yet what’s interesting about this psalm, is that while the psalmist’s situation is not what he wants, he goes on to talk about what it means to be blessed, teaching us how to turn our focus on being blessed despite our situations.

His description of a blessed life is one who dwells in God’s house ever singing his praise (v 4) one whose strength is in God, and on in whose heart are the highways to Zion (v 5). This is fascinating because it is completely opposite of what our world would tell us. The world is screaming at us to follow our hearts, to listen to our hearts, to do whatever our hearts say, or to do what we feel in our heart.

What’s different, however, about the psalmists heart is that his heart that leads him to God and not to himself. In fact, someone who is blessed has a heart that leads him to God, not to himself. “In his heart are the highways to Zion” (v 5). The psalmist desires to dwell in God’s temple. Likewise, when our strength and our trust are in God, our hearts should point us to Him.

Being blessed is not about getting what you want, but about having God even if it’s in the middle of somewhere you never wanted to be. Christ has promised to be with us forever. So let us meet with Him. Pray and fast. Go to church. Meditate on and memorize scripture. Let us be blessed despite sickness, poverty, or death by continually trusting in God, and dwelling with Him daily.