One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)
In a recent interview with the Rev. Dr. John Whatley, he affirmed that God’s kingdom was not something we could look forward to only after death, but something we could enjoy here and now, every day of our lives, and that the glory of God was not a promise but a reality.
If we think of this meaning, the psalm is a song of joy that we can be living in the house of the Lord and gazing at the beauty of the Lord. In a very real way, Christians can do that in countless ways every day. We do it in the beams of the sunrise, the song of a lark, the first flight of baby birds from the nest, the scent of a rose garden, the coolness of dew and the feeling of the wind in our faces. We hear it in the surf, the rain, the laughter of children, the songs of praise and the music of a summer night.
The psalms as we read them were once the hymnal of Israelite worship. In the psalms we not only find expressions of all the emotions of life but also some of the most profound teachings in the entire Scripture. The Book of Psalms, or Psalter, was not completed until late in Israelite history. But it contains hymns written over a period of hundreds of years. Many individual psalms are far older than the whole book.
When interpreting a psalm it is important first to determine what kind of psalm it is. In this way one can see how the psalmist intended it to be read. The psalm we are reading today is one of praise, or a hymn of blessing. Psalm 27 states that true righteousness is above all love for God and the joy of worship. The one who so loves God is secure even in the tribulations of life because he or she is accepted in the arms of God.
May we accept this comforting knowledge and continue to live within the accepting arms of God all the days of our lives.
References: The People’s New Testament Commentary by M. Eugene Boring and Fred B. Craddock, The MacArthur Bible Commentary by John MacArthur and Concise Bible Commentary, David S. Dockery, General Editor.
Columbia Prayer Chain: Monday, February 4
In our prayers: Claudia Strattman, Jennifer Williams, Betty Jo Carson, Gary Davis, Eddie Bolton, Myrna, Esther, Pam James, Doug and Sharon, John Kelchner, Elizabeth Matthews, Nedrick Griffin, Jennifer Handy, Nancy Stuckey, Annemarie Sullivan, Rachel and Randy Wurtzbaugh, Patty Peckham, Denise Byrd, Greg and Lisa Steele, Dean Timothy Jones, Linda Langford, Marty Fritz, Harriet Hancock, Tommy and Robby Palmer, Patty and Ted Mac Laughlin, Janet Long, Bobby Wilson, Debbie and Pat Barry, Betty Jo Sullivan, Patrick and Patricia Barry, Jordan Hill, Doris Clevenger, Charles Sigel, Bob Davis, John Whatley, Nancy Zuckerman, Charles Davis Sr., Bill Carter, Betty Peavy Frick, Joye Cantrell, Fred and Gail, Dale and Norma Sessions, Padge Arrington, Jerry Callahan, Norman Masters
Special prayers for Mary Ellen’s four-year-old grandson, Joseph Patrick, who is fighting cancer
In memoriam: Jean Wallace Ayre, Michael Woodrow Baird Jr., Dr. George Albert Bowdler Jr., Yolanda DeStefano Brandi, James A. Connors, Dorothy Anne Grice Crews, Margie Nunn Hatcher, Frances Craft Matthews, Ella Mae Smith Hammond, Frederick D. Gray, Janis Corley Mack, Daisy E. Jeffords, Brittany Morgan Powell, Herman Emmit Reeves Jr.
Our prayers are with: the elderly, the homeless, all currently fighting illness, all beloved pets, our president and congress, our police officers and firefighters, all who serve in the armed forces
Columbia Prayer Chain is open to all residents of greater Columbia who would like to share prayers and receive the prayers of others. Please leave your name in the comment box or email me.
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