Blessings at His Place
Today after our attending or morning church service at Timberline Church, I headed over to Loveland to catch the final day of the State USSSA tournament my cousin was playing in. They won a game earlier in the morning the mid-day game they won 1-0 in an overtime inning. Then they played the same team they had just beat in the championship game and won 7-2! That made them State Champs in the 18 year old “B Division.” It was great to be there, especially with the exciting outcome. My cousin Kayla was recognized by the coach for her critical role as catcher and was awarded the team trophy as her own. This was a great honor and I am pleased that I was there for all the excitement and celebration.
I also ran into my friends Lonnie and Susan Losh from Strasburg. Their granddaughter (son Chris’s daughter) was playing in the “A Division” State Championship game. Strasburg pulled out the win to be State Champs in their division. It was good to see my friends from Strasburg even if Lonnie did have to remind me of my “some times over the top” competitive spirit from my younger days. Both of these teams will compete in national tournaments this next week. Strasburg heads to San Diego and my cousin, Kayla’s Colorado Springs Thunder team heads to Florida. Congratulations to both teams.
Bible Verse for Today… 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! Psalm 84:11,12
Psalm 84 is another classic and favorite of mine. It begins with the words, “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.” (Psalm 84:1,2) At the end of the Psalm we read, “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.” (Psalm 84:10)
The temple of God is viewed as the dwelling place of God. That was David’s intent to build as house for the Lord. Solomon finished the Temple and in his prayer recognized that God could not dwell in the temple because it could not contain Him. It was viewed as a “resting place for His feet.” The idea communicates the value of God’s presence.
The New Testament refers to the believer as the “temple of God.” It is to be the place where God’s presence is known and honored. Psalm 84:11,12 communicate to us the “why”; the reason that God’s presence should make us desire to be a mere doorman than to enjoy an exalted position in the tents of the wicked.
The Lord protects and bestows. The reference to “sun” and “shield” remind me of the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by the day that lead the Children of Israel through the wilderness. The Lord knows what we need and how to fill that need. He gives us favor and honor even though we don’t deserve the recognition. My cousin, Michelle (Kayla’s mom) made sure that I received a team championship key chain just like the team members received during today’s award ceremony. To me that felt like favor and honor. I did nothing to earn it, but was recognized by her and shown kindness.
The Lord is generous. “No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” God desires our love to be demonstrated in our obedience to Him. That doesn’t mean perfection, but it does mean following after Him and seeking His presence as a vital part of our life. He approaches us with an open hand, not a closed fist.
Trust and blessing go hand in hand. Obedience requires trust. Trust results in blessings. As we receive blessings from the Lord it encourages our love for Him. Our love for Him is reflected in our obedience to Him. Our obedience requires trust….
And that is how we stay connected to God’s place of life and blessing. There is no better place to be. Jump on board even if you have to be a “doorkeeper” or better yet “door opener” for others to enter in.