…and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever
~Psalm 23:6
What a scene! The banquet table is spread. Food and drink as far as the eye can see. So many guests…and you’re one of them. You go through the door and immediately the host introduces you to the crowd of people as a special friend and then anoints your head with oil as a sign of your significance. You are a true friend and everyone knows it. After that, the meet and greet begins and continues over the next few minutes before the dinner begins.
Everyone is called to the table and sits in their assigned seats. You’re surprised and amazed that you are near the host. You must be important. You sit and wait for further instructions. You’ve never been to a banquet like this but you’re also excited to have been invited.
The attendants serve food and drink and it seems like it goes on forever. The food keeps coming and your cup overflows.
On a side note, one of the things I like most about dinner is sweet tea. There are several restaurants in our town that make the very best. So when I go and eat there I drink the stuff like it’ll never be made again. So keeping my tea glass full is extremely difficult for anyone.
But for David, the Lord filled his cup to overflowing. This showed that he was a special guest! Oh that David could spend the rest of his time with the host. Oh that David could stay with the host for days, weeks, and years.
The Host is important
You should certainly not wish to dwell with the wrong host. The host in this situation is the Lord. David understood the Host is of great importance. He is the Creator. He is the Shepherd who met all of David’s needs. Let this sink in. David even wrote it in Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” The first step to growing spiritually is to understand the Lord is preeminent. Throughout Psalm 23, David described the shepherd (host) and His relationship to us (sheep).
The time is important
The guest (David) understood that the time spent with the host was invaluable. He desired to stay with him a great deal of time. Why? I believe the fellowship was so sweet that David wanted to experience nothing else. Time equals significance to David.
I remember trying to learn a new language several years ago. I could not do it without spending hours and hours working through the language itself. I tried to sleep with a tape playing in the background; I was hoping something magical would happen as I slept. When I woke up the next day I was only tired, not smarter.
The result is important
There is nothing better than having a sweet and close time with the Lord. We so often miss this critical step in our walk with the Lord. What David was doing was seeking the presence of the Lord in his life. When is the last time you sought that same presence? We read Scripture and we listen to podcasts, but do we seek the Lord’s presence?
The Lord is not just some carnival guy guessing weight at the fair while handing out stuffed animals to each of us. To be in His presence is to be in awe of Him and expect nothing but His presence. It is to express true worship to Him. It is to learn from Him. It is to rest in Him.
Some Questions…
- Who are you seeking for help with the difficult issues in your life? How much time do you dwell with the Lord?
- What steps can you take to increase that time?
- How do you gauge your progress with your relationship with the Lord?