Our reading schedule has brought us today to Psalm 84, and you will recognize some of the verses in this Psalm as you read it.
Psalm 84:1
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!
Maybe you’ve had this experience: you get invited over to somebody’s house—maybe a place you’ve never been before—and you fall in love with it. You love everything about it. You say, “You’ve got a great house here. You’ve done some great things to it, and it’s a beautiful place.”
Or maybe you think back on all the homes you’ve lived in and have a personal favorite—one filled with particularly good memories. Maybe it’s the place you brought your babies home from the hospital, or where you felt happiest and most content.
This worship song—this prayer—was written by the Sons of Korah. It’s a song celebrating their relationship with God, enjoying the privilege of being in His presence and His home.
The sons of Korah are saying to God: “We love your house. We love being in your home because that’s where you are—and we like being where you are.”
They even love that birds feel welcome there:
Psalm 84:3
Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.
Psalm 84:2a
My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord;
We all go through times when we feel distant from God. We realize that something’s missing—and it’s Him. We long for a closer walk, a deeper connection. We miss the sense of being near God and in His presence.
And then there are other times—when we’re in a place of worship, singing songs that speak deeply to us—when we feel truly alive in spirit:
Psalm 84:2b
My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
When I was a pastor, I used to tell my worship leaders that I wanted worship to be fun—joyful. I wanted us to sing songs we loved to sing. I asked them to make sure every song was singable and easy for people to engage with.
We’d open with two or three songs full of life—songs that had energy. I wanted music that made us want to move, to bounce a little—songs so alive we couldn’t sit still. Then we’d transition into more reflective, slower songs—times to focus on connecting with God.
At the end of the service, I’d tell my team: “Bounce us out the door!” Send us out celebrating and reflecting on the amazing worship we just experienced. Those songs would echo through our minds all week—we’d be humming or singing them days later.
Psalm 84:4
Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah.
They mention the effects of worship—it strengthens us. We can sense God filling our spirit with His Spirit.
Psalm 84:5
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
Imagine our hearts like road maps—highways leading to God. Worship lays those roads. It connects us, and others, more deeply with Him.
Worship also makes us more fruitful for the kingdom:
Psalm 84:6
As they go through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.
“Baca” means weeping. The Valley of Baca was dry and barren—like our souls can become. But worship turns it into a place of springs—a valley covered with fresh rainwater. Through our worship, we can leave behind spiritual refreshment for others—a life-changing impact.
Psalm 84:7
They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.
We grow stronger in spirit and in faith. We go from one stage of spiritual power to another—until, one day, we appear in the very presence of God.
Psalm 84:8–10
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.
Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed!
For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
There’s no place they would rather be than in the presence of God.
Psalm 84:11–12
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!
Let this Psalm remind us that God’s presence is not just beautiful—it’s life-giving. And worship is the door we walk through to get there.
