Key Verse: No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11)

1-2 What a beautiful home, God-of-the-Angel-Armies!
    I’ve always longed to live in a place like this,
Always dreamed of a room in your house,
    where I could sing for joy to God-alive!

3-4 Birds find nooks and crannies in your house,
    sparrows and swallows make nests there.
They lay their eggs and raise their young,
    singing their songs in the place where we worship.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies! King! God!
    How blessed they are to live and sing there!

Reflection: (Psalm 84:1,4)

The writer longed to get away from the bustling world to meet God inside his dwelling place, his holy Temple. 

We can meet God anywhere, at any time. But we know that going to a special place designated for worship can help us step aside from the busy mainstream of life so we can quietly meditate and pray. 

We find joy and strength not only in the prayers, music, lessons, and sermons but also in fellowship with other believers in a special place. 

5-7 And how blessed all those in whom you live,
    whose lives become roads you travel;
They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks,
    discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!
God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and
    at the last turn—Zion! God in full view!

Reflection: (Psalm 84:5-7)

The pilgrimage to the Temple passed through the barren Valley of Weeping. No specific valley has been identified. 

The “weeping” may have been a symbolic reference to the times of struggles and tears through which people must pass on their way to meet God. 

Growing strong in God’s presence is often preceded by a journey through barren places in our lives. 

The person who loves to spend time with God will see adversity as an opportunity to experience God’s faithfulness even more deeply. 

If you are walking through your own Valley of Weeping today, be sure your pilgrimage leads toward God, not away from Him. 

8-9 God-of-the-Angel-Armies, listen:
    O God of Jacob, open your ears—I’m praying!
Look at our shields, glistening in the sun,
    our faces, shining with your gracious anointing.

10-12 One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship,
    beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches.
I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God
    than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin.
All sunshine and sovereign is God,
    generous in gifts and glory.
He doesn’t scrimp with his traveling companions.
    It’s smooth sailing all the way with God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

Reflection: (Psalm 84:11)

God does not promise to give us everything we think is good, but he will not withhold what is permanently good. 

He will give us the means to walk along His paths, but we must do the walking. 

When we obey Him, He will not hold anything back that will help us serve Him.