Psalm 84:10-11 - September 3, 2009

Ps 84:10-11 "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. 11 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." NIV

Think back upon the best day of your life! Remember the good times apart from God. The pleasures that this world has to offer are real but they are dim in comparison to the pleasures of God. In Psalm 84 the psalmist contrasts the drastic difference between the joys of this earth and the joy of being in God’s presence. If you were inclined to gambling and someone offered you 1000-1 odds you would be able to be certain that the outcome was assured. Imagine the implications of this passage. Not only is it stating a willingness to lay aside the joy of 1000 days spent elsewhere to be with the Lord it also implies the loss that we suffer if we neglect one day that could have been spent elsewhere. Consider the values presented in this contrast: 1000 – 1. To miss one day with the Lord is equivalent to wasting 1000 days elsewhere if we consider it in these terms. This concept causes me to deeply consider the value of a God empowered day! What can God do with a day that we spend walking with Him that He cannot do if we spend it distracted from His leading?
It is obvious from these two verses that the psalmist knows something that we don’t! He has seen the glory. He has been in the divine presence of the living God and he has tasted of the pleasures of this life. It is impossible to truly compare two things if you have not experienced them both. So many Christians are seduced to waste their lives in pursuit of those things that this world upholds as of high value, distracted from the intimate presence of God that has extended its invitation for us to come. This is evidence of our short-sightedness. Verse eleven brings into context the values of this world through the eyes of someone who truly understands the source of all good things. The psalmist is not void of interest in the things of the world but his teaching reflects the same principle found in the words of Christ when he told us to seek first the kingdom of God and that all other things would be added unto us. The psalmist points us to God as the source of favor and honor, and the giver of all good things to those who walk uprightly. This passage points each one of us to the simple principle that everything we are searching for both in this life and the life to come is found in an intimate relationship with God. When His favor is upon us favor with man follows in due time. When our ways are pleasing to Him we find that His blessing follows us into the different areas of our lives. Some people choose to pursue the things of the world apart from God and their days end in emptiness. Others look to the Lord for their source of life and have both peace and prosperity. Choose to spend your day wisely!