Courts
Psa 84:2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
What is it about the courts of the Lord, and what is there to be so passionate about when thinking on the place where God lives? Aren’t we just supposed to be seeking His face and finding His embrace?
There are certain things that are cherished memories for me about my life growing up at home that have everything to do with those who furnished and provided that home for me. I remember the smell of food cooking on the stove that would greet me when I came in from a long day or early in the morning as the day was just getting started. There was also the smell from my parents’ cologne that was a part of their bedroom, but was also something that went with me after an embrace. The kitchen was the place where much conversation took place into the late evening especially when guests were visiting with us. In the living room my memories go to the many times of family devotion where one of us would be perched on Dad’s shoulders combing the little hair that was still there on his head while he read from the Bible. There was a little closet off of the living room that held several guns that included both Dad’s, mine and several that had been my Grandpa Behrman’s. There was the smell of gun oil and ammunition and a sense of excitement and adventure that were a part of the gun closet and the moments spent with Dad that were represented there. In the basement there was a laundry room where Mom faithfully cared for us by meticulously washing, drying and ironing all of our clothes. Our bedrooms were unique to each of the siblings and I remember sharing a room with my brother till my oldest sister left and I got her room downstairs. I’m sure I could go on and on with the memories of our home, and for me to do so would just nurture this never-to-be-gratified longing for the times long ago when things were a bit simpler and I was so much nearer the family members that I love so much. There was something very special about the courts of our home that is fulfilled in part by our infrequent trips to the place where my parents now live. The address, furnishings and cologne may have changed, but there is something still so familiar about the place where they are and everything they touch. I do long for that place that represents them.
Like the home that for me represented relationships and bonds that go to everything about my heart, there is something about every room that has been provided for me and is now occupied by my heavenly Father that inspires longing and desire to be with Him and experience the smells, conversation and touches over and over again. To be clothed and cared for, to be fed and nourished, to be instructed and protected, entertained and corrected- all are represented and have taken place in the courts of my Father. The furnishings, the sounds and smells all portray the very heart and nature of the One who loves me the most, and a part of His nature and holiness can be seen in every nick knack and hanging family portrait. In every room from corner to corner there is a spirit of love that has defined every experience there, and to continue thinking on how precious was each one of those moments is to grow in desire to be there with Him and know the wonder of His presence throughout the rest of this life and beyond. His courts will never just be a structure, but they will forever represent the One who has filled them completely with the endless wonder of who He is. I’m so glad there isn’t a 16 hour drive or even a few minutes that separate me from the place of my Father’s design. My longing is continually gratified as I abide in His secret place and make the siblings He’s given me the focus of my love and passion. He no longer requires a structure made with hands, and yet our coming together in any place of opportunity brings a similar touch of His influence and thus inspires longing and desire for Him and the part of Him represented there.
The soul that longs the most seeks and obtains the most, and the longing that is the strongest for those times already logged in the memory will be the longing that is yet gratified the most. Longing is a good thing and especially for the courts (and all they represent) of the Lord. Long on.
