Our family recently adopted an 8 month-old puppy. Cinnamon came to us after being hit by a car, sustaining 3 fractures and a lung injury, and spending 12 days in the veterinary hospital. He came home one month ago on pain medications and with limited activity, but now he is thriving and playful. And you know what? He doesn’t leave my side. As a puppy, he’ll need to learn to be alone on occasion, but his devoted attachment brings to mind the next verses in our study of Psalm 84.
You see, Cinnamon met us when he was in pain. For the first few weeks, I or one of the kids would sit in his play pen with him. He’d snuggle close and lay his head on our laps. The pain meds helped, but touch and affection alleviate pain, too. Now that he is more mobile, he feels safest when he is right beside me. In fact, he chooses following me from one room to another over chewing quietly on dog treats every time.
Better Than a Thousand Elsewhere
For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
Psalm 84:10a
Whether we were in the midst of a crisis or simply grieved by our sin, each of us first encountered God in the context of pain. We had a burden only He could remove and a hunger only He could fill. He not only alleviates our pain, He has healed us, and He guides us in the way of life. He is our Provider, our Protector, our Comforter, our Guide, and our Light. A single day in his presence is better than any number of years apart from Him. As we experience God’s goodness and grow in the knowledge that His presence is better than anywhere else, we will keep as close to Him as a well-loved puppy.
The Doorkeepers that Sang
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
Psalm 84:10b
To work and serve at the threshold of God’s dwelling far surpasses life lived in comfortable luxury inside a place where He is not. Did you know that the use of “doorkeeper” in this verse is not a random example of a humble job, but the vocational heritage of the authors of this Psalm? While the descendants of Aaron were the priests, the descendants of Korah, to whom Psalm 84 and ten other Psalms are attributed, attended to the custodial tasks of the Tabernacle and served as the doorkeepers (1 Chronicles 9:19). I can think of members of our church who serve similarly, attending to the uncelebrated details of the Church, living lives marked by worship.
Our Sun and Shield
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.
Psalm 84:11
On the pilgrimage to the tabernacle, and in our walk with God, one encounters both foul weather and adversaries. Our God, the source of every good gift (James 1:17), is our sun and our shield, lighting the way and defending us from the evil one. While we may not take Him up on every good gift He offers, His blessings are not withheld.
We are doing our best to provide every good thing for Cinnamon. Interestingly, that includes a good deal of “no.” He has an abundance of attention and affection, nutritious dog food, and some tasty morsels after dinner. He also isn’t allowed to run or jump, to play with our other dog, or to go on walks. And, after chewing through five leashes in two weeks, he is frequently confined to a play pen. We really want to let him run free, but for now, Cinnamon requires a good deal of protection while his bones heal and become stronger. Right now, wrestling with another dog or running after a squirrel could seriously injure him and stall his healing.
I wonder if there are any “no’s” or “not now’s” in God’s answers to my prayers that are allowing me to grow, heal, and become stronger?
Pause.
Let’s take a moment before moving on with the day to receive what this Psalm offers us.
“For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.” (Psalm 84:10a)
Have you lived apart from God, walked in disobedience? I have. What is it like? What is it like to be in His presence?
“The Lord bestows favor and honor.” (Psalm 84:11:a)
How have you received favor or honor? Praise God!
The Lord is our sun and our shield. May we journey confidently in His presence.
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