Longing for & Loving Your Church

READ PSALM 84

Psalm 84:1-2(ESV)

My Soul Longs for the Courts of the Lord

1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! ² My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

A friend of mine recently shared that when his business was in extreme financial distress he feared that he would lose everything. The anxious thoughts and stress of meeting payroll kept him awake at night. What did he do?

When he couldn't sleep he would drive to his church so he could be in the sanctuary of the Lord. He would lay down on the steps of the altar to pray. More than a few times he fell asleep praying on those steps. His heart and flesh were literally crying out to the Lord in the house of the Lord.

Over the course of time the man's business was saved, and he is now in a fruitful season of life. God is good!

But I'd like to focus on the beautiful picture of running to the altar in life's difficult moments. When the struggles of life hit my friend had a church home to run to. He had a sanctuary that he loved and worshipped in that was available to him.

Do you?

I have grown up in the Church. Scripture tells us it is the Bride of Christ. (Ephesians 5:25-27) I know the Church is a people, but don't discount the importance of a gathering place for the people to worship the Lord in song, hear the Word of the Lord preached, pray to the Lord at the altar, and fellowship with one another in community. Jesus loves His people (the Church) deeply, and he also loves the "house" that belongs to Him where His people are called to gather. (Hebrews 10:25)

There will always be a select few in the Church who can cause a great deal of pain, but please don't let those few keep you away from the house of the Lord. There are a far greater number of people who love Jesus with their whole heart and they can be used by God to bring you joy, healthy encouragement, and fellowship in the body of Christ. Best of all, you have a home for worship.

1 Corinthians 6:19 tells believers in Christ that our "bodies are temple's of the Holy Spirit." That means we are walking sanctuaries of God. He is in us. Don't ever forget that!

But you and I both know that there are moments when we need to be in a place where our heart and flesh can cry out to God from a dedicated altar the Him. A place where the sole purpose and focus of the room is the Lord. The sanctuary belongs to God and no one else, and He welcomes you into his "court".

Personally, I long for and love to be in the house of the Lord. That doesn't mean I haven't had painful moments in the house of the Lord. In fact, I have had many painful moments that have come through the words and actions of people. But I refuse to let the words and actions of a select few people rob me from the place the Lord has provided for me to worship, pray, seek, and find Him!

Sometimes I will just sit alone in the quiet sanctuary of the Lord and marinate in His presence. I highly encourage you to begin the same practice. My friend, you need to have a sanctuary home, a house of the Lord, that you can run to when you need to drink in the goodness of God and thank Him for His faithfulness.

The Psalmist declares, "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere." Psalm 84 declares, "My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord."

If you don't have a church home that you long to be in and spend time in the sanctuary with Jesus, please know I am praying for you to find one. Regardless of your history with the Church, my encouragement to you is to find a house of the Lord that you long for and love. If for no other reason than to have a sanctuary where your heart and flesh can feel at home in the presence of Jesus. My friend, I believe you will find this place.

Josh Huisman is the senior pastor of Crosswalk Church in Brentwood, TN. If you would like to support this website and make it possible for this page to stay active and these devotions to reach a wider audience, CLICK HERE

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