Young People's Group

“HOW LOVELY IS YOUR TABERNACLE”

by Pastor Mitch
January 13, 2013

Having A Deep Love For The House Of God

Having great faith in God should be expressed by a great love for His house. There is no point talking about having great faith when we do not love the Lord’s house. The sons of Korah displayed such a special sense of love for the house of God in the text of Psalm 84. These Levites were the surviving relatives of the sons of Korah, who were swallowed up by the earth (Numbers 16). Their main job was to serve God with reference to the most holy things in the tabernacle (Numbers 4:4). Despite doing the work of the Lord as a life-long commitment, there was still this exuberant love for His house.

“How lovely is Your tabernacle,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the Lord”
Psalm 84:1-2

The sons of Korah saw with spiritual eyes how lovely the Lord’s tabernacle was. This was the place that the Lord God Almighty dwelt. He is the Lord of Hosts, the commander of the heavenly army and yet, He dwells with His people in this “tent”. The sons of Korah had this soul-felt longing to be in the courts of the Lord. King David had a similar desire when he wrote in the text of Psalm 27:4:

“One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.”
Psalm 27:4

If there was one thing that was most important to King David, it would have been seeking and dwelling in the house of the Lord. There was just this deep sense of longing to be in the Lord’s presence and to discover Him. Young people, do we also have a deep sense of love for the Lord’s house?

Having A Living Relationship With God

“My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”
Psalm 84:2

The sons of Korah’s love for the Lord’s house stems from a deep love for the Lord. God was not just a figment of their imagination. He was not just a concept that they understood. He was a real and living spiritual Being who was sovereign over all things. The sons of Korah had a very vibrant relationship with the Lord God. Their hearts were deeply touched by Him. The Lord had been there for them in the past, satisfying their thirst for Him. In the text of Psalm 42:1, the sons of Korah spoke of how as a deer pants for the water brooks, so they too had a deep desire and thirst for the living God. There was a deep faith that sought to cry out to God with their heart and flesh. They were standing in the midst of the courts of the Lord’s house and their heart was crying out to the living God. Young people, the God that we have come to appreciate and love is truly a living God. When we look after the house of the Lord, let’s make sure that we have a living relationship with Him. This is what would fuel our deep desire and love for the Lord’s house.

Looking After Our Church Building

Having a living relationship with God should cause us to have a deep love for the house of God. Having a deep love for the Lord’s house should cause us to faithfully look after it. Our Lord has given us a most beautiful Church building. It was built with the intention of reflecting the Lord’s glory. Young people, let’s seek to be responsible enough to look after the Lord’s house. If we all can do our part to ensure that our Church building is clean and tidy, it would reflect even more our love for God’s house as the young people of Bethany. Let’s lovingly and faithfully look after the house of the Lord. Let’s love it and treasure it as we seek to love and treasure our God.

Back to Article Listing