April 26, 2024

Psalm 61.4 (NIV)

I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

How can a man be prepared for an eternal heaven who finds the worship of God on earth irksome and tedious?*

I don’t have any experience with life in the ancient Mideast but I imagine David’s sentiment is similar to the feeling I get when I think of being at my Mom and Dad’s house: clean sheets; my favorite food; being loved; feeling secure. God is the perfect host who provides protection from thieves and bad weather; fulfills every wish for our comfort; always makes us feel welcome.

David’s longing wasn’t just for the physical security of his personal tent. God’s tent – the tabernacle – was considered the dwelling place of God. At the time this psalm was written, David had been banished from the tabernacle. According to Romans 8.38 and 39, nothing can separate us from the love of God; but David’s physical exile symbolized spiritual separation from God’s “sacred hospitality, and sure protection.”* David missed the rituals of sacrifice and worship, and the fellowship of people who weren’t trying to kill him or who weren’t on the run with him from those same people. He longed for Heaven – a place of permanent refuge.

While nothing can separate us from the love of God, we separate ourselves from his shelter and protection when we choose to wander away from the tabernacle. God created us with a natural longing for home and nothing is closer to it than the experience of worshipping and fellowshipping with other believers. “Let us not give up meeting together . . . but let us encourage one another.” (Hebrews 10.25)

The church is designed not only to fulfill the Great Commission but to provide a place for believers to grow and find encouragement.*