Better is One Day....

I read in God’s Word today, “Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you” Ps. 84:4.  Hmmm.

 “So, God”, I asked.  “Are they praising you because they are blessed, or are they blessed because they are praising you?”

I believe I heard God’s answer in one word, said with a grin, “Yes.”

What is it about being in God’s house, in his presence that makes me blessed, that causes me to praise him? 

We have two cats at home.  The nice cat is Inky; the not so nice cat we affectionately call Lumpy.  Inky is quick to run to the door when we come home, just like a dog, and loves to jump on your lap anytime you sit down.  Lumpy is a standoffish cat; you pet her twice and then she bites you.  Jimmy says she is the kind of cat that makes men hate cats.  But I often find both cats will come into my sewing room and lay by my feet for hours while I sew.  They don’t need to be on my lap, or be petted or attended to.  They just want to be with me.

Have you read about the birds that liked so well being in God’s house that they moved in? “Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young – a place near your altar…” (Ps. 84:3) And God not only let them stay, he also recorded it in scripture so we would understand that if birds can move into his presence and find a home there, how much more can we who are made in his image.

So I take a lesson from the birds, and the cats.  Rest in God’s presence.  Hang out there.  Move right in and take up residence. There you will find a place to rest.  There you will find a place to nest.  It’s a safe place, a warm place, a place where you will be blessed, and you will sing forth God’s praises.