Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 84:1-7
Ps. 84:1-7
1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. 3 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young--a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Selah 5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
Heb. 7:22-25
22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. 23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
The Jews had to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem each year where the High Priest would go into the Holy of Holies in the Temple and offer a sacrifice for their sins. The next year it had to be repeated, year after year for life. Because we are under a new and better covenant with Jesus today, we have our sins forgiven when we are baptized into him. As we continue to live by faith and walk in his light, our sins continue to be forgiven. We all serve as priests while Jesus is our High Priest.
This means that as a child of God, in the name of Jesus, we can enter into his presence at any time and any place. But it is not a frivolous thing for us to go to the throne of God. It is with the utmost respect and even fear that we approach his throne of grace. Yet, at the same time, it is with boldness because we have the permission of Jesus, his Son, to use his name and his credentials to go into the holiest of holies to address our Father and his. What a glorious privilege we have been given, to talk to the creator of all that exist and to know that he will not only hear us but has promised to respond to our prayers. We thank God for his grace!
Our Father in heaven, holy is your name in all the earth. I praise you as the only true and living God. Thank you for your love, your grace and your wisdom to devise a way for me to be your child and to be able to live for you today. I look forward to the day when I can be with you in eternity. While I am here on earth, I need your Spirit to guide me and change me into your likeness. Help me pattern my life after the life of Jesus in every way. Use me and all you have given me to serve you by serving those around me. I humbly pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
