Better is One Day in Your Courts
Can it really be that enjoyable to just sit in God's presence and not do much of anything else?
There are days when I can go a whole hour or more of simply being in the presence of God, thinking about Him, and saying very little. It's taken a while to acquire a taste for this and to build up the spiritual stamina to actually do it. But after months of practice, it's now becoming a very enjoyable spiritual activity for me. Sometimes, I can't wait to just be in God's presence and I may even get annoyed if I can't do so for one reason or another.
Can it really be that enjoyable to just sit in God's presence and not do much of anything else? That's something that you will have to discover on your own as you grow in your personal spiritual walk with God. But there's a verse in the Bible that I think about often that showcases the delight to be had when one is simply in the presence of God. The book of Psalms declares these astounding words: "For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere" (Ps. 84:10 ESV).
Lots of places here on earth are enjoyable. I particularly enjoy going to coffee shops or to the beach or being at home with my family. But no matter how beautiful these places are, no place on earth can compare to the very presence of God. As the psalmist declared, even just one single day in the courts of God is better than a thousand days anywhere else. When I pray to God and meditate on Him, it's like I'm right there in His courts. I'm in God's very presence through my times of prayer. Do I truly believe that one day in God's presence is better than a thousand days somewhere else?
In fact, if we really think about it, we'll eventually be spending the rest of eternity in God's presence. We might as well learn to enjoy it today. If we don't like being in God's presence here on earth now, will we really like it in heaven? Our times of prayer, Scripture, worship, and contemplation here on earth gives us a small glimpse of the time that we will be spending with God in heaven. We might as well get used to it now. But more so, we can have a taste today of the incredible joy that we will fully have in heaven through our personal times with God here on earth.
Will God's presence be better than a thousand elsewhere in your own life?
Barnabas the Monastic
Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.
