Encouragement
Day One
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty
My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD;y
my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.y
Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself,y
where she may have her young a place near your altar,
O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
As the psalmist my soul yearns for God's courts! Verse 3 mentions the swallow and the sparrow who have made nests beside God's altar. What an image!
Imagine the grandeur, the splendor the holiness of the Temple and the feelings of awe and reverence it evoked in the people of Israel. Why if they entered the Holy of Holies unbidden or unworthily, they were struck dead. And yet these common birds had easy access... made their homes right near the holy altar of God's presence. The NIV test note says the psalmist was jealous!
What an image of intimacy for us. Also, we must realize that because of Jesus Christ's atonement, we have that same access to God's presence! We can come boldly before the throne of grace with confidence. ( Hebrews 4:16 ) As He knows the sparrows, He knows us as well! Praise you, Jesus!
Additional Scriptures: Hebrews 4:16 ; Matthew 6:26-27 ; Matthew 10:30 ; Luke 12:7
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Sheila Lloyd
