“And now, here they are… The Beatles!”
Those words, which were spoken years ago at concerts all over the world, were enough to cause a total frenzy. Girls would scream at the top of their lungs as four young men from Liverpool walked out on the stage. And while the screams were bad enough, there were many who passed out from the excitement. The presence of these young men actually overwhelmed some of these teenage girls so much that it caused them to faint!
Psalm 84, written by the sons of Korah, speaks of a longing to be in the presence of the Lord. The psalmist starts by telling the Lord how lovely His dwelling place is (Psalm 84:1). He then says that his soul longs to be in the courts of the Lord, to be in His presence. He doesn’t just long for God’s presence, he faints for it (Psalm 84:2). But, unlike those young girls, who were overwhelmed by the presence of mere men, the psalmist was overwhelmed by the presence of the living God. And being in His presence caused the psalmist’s heart and flesh to sing for joy (Psalm 84:2).
Just like the psalmist, we should always look to be in the presence of the Lord. Our souls should faint at the idea of standing in the presence of the God who created the heavens and the earth, who loves us and gives us life. But, unlike the psalmist, who had to go to the temple courts in order to be in God’s presence and to offer Him our worship, we can experience His presence anywhere. This is because, when we have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and have given our hearts and lives to Him, we become the temple of the Lord and His presence can dwell within us. Now, that is a reason to sing for joy!
A Worshiper's Journal 