Psalm 84: Homesickness, focusing our hearts on God.

I mentioned in my previous blog that feeling a little bit homesick has been good for me this past week, helping me to focus my camera lens more sharply on God. I have loved reading Psalm 84, it has really excited me and truly spurred me on:  

How lovely is your dwelling place,
   O LORD of hosts!

My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

The Psalmist was on a pilgrimage to get to the temple, longing to at last be with God and dwell with him. This is his focus and what he yearns for. I expect that on a pilgrimage it would be easy to give up, easy to moan and groan. And yet this focus is brilliant, his soul, heart and flesh - everything about him wants to be with God and is singing to God. An intense longing, a hunger, seeking with all he has to be with God. I have to question myself; is this how I feel about God? Do I yearn to see God face to face? Do I want to be home with God?

How amazing it is that Jesus is our temple! And that one day, we will be face to face with the Living God... this is my destination, my home... the perfect New Creation with my loving heavenly father! This is what we've been made for and so we should yearn for this day.

I love the little section below as well, even though God is the LORD almighty, the one who has created and sustains the universe, in Christ, he is my king and my God.

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.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!
                         Selah

What have birds and nests got to do with God? A nest is a birds home, their security, a resting place, somewhere safe. For the Psalmist, this place of security, rest and safety was found at the alter where the sacrifices were made, to enable forgiveness and relationship with God. For us this has been done once and for all as Jesus died on the cross. We have forgiveness, we are totally secure in our relationship with Jesus because of Jesus' death and on the cross. So when weary as we await Jesus' return, we need to go back to where the Psalmist focuses. The amazing certainty of heaven, the brilliant God we have and of course the wonderful work of Jesus.

 

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
   in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

As they go through the Valley of Baca
   they make it a place of springs;
    the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
   each one appears before God in Zion.

O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
   give ear, O God of Jacob!
                         Selah

Again on the pilgrimage I love how this psalmist shows us where true strength is found. Strength to transform desert into springs. The journey to Jerusalem would have been tough, the valley of Baca, was also known as the valley of tears. Yet they made it into springs. In the valley of weeping and of hardship, yearning for God transformed this into a place of springs. How often in our valley of tears, we turn to chocolate for help, or an exercise fix, a chat with a friend... yet here we are reminded that true strength is found in God. God gives them strength to keep on going.

 
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.
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!

I think this part of the Psalm is my favorite. Just before this little section the psalmist has said, 'O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob!' And its like now, he see's the answer. Remembering that one day with God is better than thousands elsewhere, being in God's presence is the best thing ever. And then... what a brilliant reminder we get of God's provision. God might not give us all that we want, but he gives us all that we need. He doesn't with hold anything from us. He provides everything, he guides and protects us. A gracious and good God. And we are blessed when we trust in him! 

If anything, over this past week, due to my minor homesickness for Cambridge... I have a greater homesickness in a good way, that is spurring me on and helping me to love Jesus more and more.

Homesickness

Home Sweet Home! There is something just lovely about being at home. This Christmas was no different,  I truly loved being at home in Cambridge this Christmas.

Coming back to Doncaster has been hard. But, I have to say, it's been good for me, the feeling of homesickness has reminded me of two brilliant Christian truths I need to embrace and delight in.

One of the great privileges of being a Christian is that I have church family wherever I go... even in Doncaster! Although I'm away form the comforts of my birth Mum and Dad, I have a lovely church family here in Doncaster. It was such a joy to spend time with my church family this morning, meeting with brothers and sisters in Christ and talking about how God has been at work in our lives over the past few weeks. As Romans 8:14-16 highlights and Ephesians 1:5 states; "God predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will" What a joy, even here in Doncaster, as a child of God I have family! 

The second thing I've been reminded of is that earth is not my home. Not that there is anything wrong with Doncaster... but I'm not primarily a citizen of Doncaster, nor Cambridge, Durham or Chichester for that matter. As a christian my citizenship is now in heaven (Ephesians 3:20), and I should eagerly desire to be at home with Christ in the New Creation... where I will be in perfect relationship with my heavenly father in a perfect world. I've challenged myself regarding the direction of my homesickness. Is it for my temporary home in Cambridge? Or is it my eternal and perfect home in the new creation? A good little pointer to me to remember that our time on earth is short and that we have a brilliant home awaiting us. This homesickness is a healthy homesickness. The more time I've spent reflecting on the new creation, the more my homesickness has been for the New Creation, rather than Cambridge.

So my little spell of homesickness has been a good for me. What a joy it is that wherever I go I have a wonderful and loving church family. Further, I have a glorious new home awaiting me... this puts everything into perspective. What an awesome God I have!