PSALM 84 – THE PEARL OF PSALMS by Trish Reimer

Observe:  Charles Spurgeon referred to Psalm 84 as “the pearl of Psalms”.  In reading this glorious and beautiful psalm, I would tend to agree.  It is so full of little pearls of wisdom, adoration and encouragement.  I’m going to deviate a little from the normal structure of our blogs and just basically give my thoughts as to what this psalm means to me.  However, let’s observe the basic composition of the psalm and then I’ll proceed.  Verses 1 and 2 reveal the psalmist’s longing for the house of God, verses 3 and 4 reflect upon the satisfaction found in the house of God, verses 5-7 talk of the strength for those who are away from the house of God, verse 8 and 9 state a prayer and asking for God’s attention and verses 10-12 declare the greatness of God and His house.

Reflection: “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord”.  Yearning…it is such a deep feeling as to cause fainting if denied the privilege of meeting with God among His people.  Do we actually have such a longing when we come to church that we would almost physically faint if we could not have fellowship with one another and not only with each other, but with the living God?  We come to church with one purpose – to come together with those who also cry out to meet with the living God.  We don’t meet just for social reasons or programs, although those are great, but to worship together ­with our living God – our God and King! (vs. 4)  The psalmist talks about crying out, and in this case the cry is not necessarily a joyous one (Psalm 17:1, Lamentations 2:19), but rather using everything within him (heart and flesh) to long for God and His house.  He talks of the sparrow and the swallow.  The sparrow is a bird of small significance and the swallow tends to be restless.  Likewise the insignificant and restless can find rest (their nest) in the house of God.  It needs to be welcoming place for all who seek the living God! When we enter the church building, we need to be aware of what God might want of us in that particular service.  We need to “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) and we need to have such deep yearning or longing to meet with the living God – our God and King!  I encourage you to keep this in mind and be grateful that we are privileged to meet with God Almighty and each other!

Every time I read this psalm, I can’t help but sing the following song.  I’ve had the privilege of singing it a few times in my life in different choirs and have found it to be an inspiration.  Even if you aren’t a fan of classical music, please listen and reflect on Psalm 84.

Song: How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place – the Mormon Tabernacle Choir