“He gives Himself to those who have made a place for Him.”
Jeanne Guyon
God wants you entirely for Himself. One way Jesus knows He has us for Himself is by the position we seek. In Psalm 84:10, the psalmist writes, “Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” Choosing one day in God’s presence was more of a priority than living a thousand days without God. Taking the humble servant’s position of a doorkeeper meant more to the psalmist than living in the comfort of the tents of the wicked. The psalmist’s priority was his position, how close he was to God. Possessions, power, fame or comfort were less important than his intimacy with the Lord.
This passage sets my priorities in their proper perspective. It’s all about location, location, location. How close am I to my heavenly Father? How intimate am I with the Holy Spirit? What choices do I need to make in order to place myself in the position of nearness with Jesus? If intimacy with the Lord is my top priority in life then all other things fall behind in line.
Earlier in this psalm the writer declares his desires and makes his intentions known in verses one and two. “How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” The psalmist had to be in God’s presence.
My desire is to set up my tent and camp close to my God. For it’s in that place I find contentment and peace. My heart’s ultimate satisfaction is encountered through intimacy with Jesus. One way I position myself near to God is through the spiritual discipline of soaking.
Lying on the floor with my heart abandoned to God deepens my intimacy with Him. Soaking is a place where I get to know God’s heart and He gets to know mine. I believe God’s favorite love language is quality time. When I choose to wait on God by lying still in His presence, it exclaims “I love you” to the Lord.
The purpose of soaking is to become saturated with God. When I abide in the Lord and rest in His presence, I become His resting place. Soaking is a place of inactivity, not productivity. It’s my time to simply be with God rather than do for Him. When I choose to position myself before God to soak, I’m surrendering all of who I am to His ownership and control.
Which is most important, your comfort or your closeness to God? Are your possessions and power more of a priority than your proximity with God? What is your greatest desire, being engaged in your hobbies and interests or being engaged in an intimate relationship with God? I want to become more like the psalmist in Psalm 84 and position myself in the presence of God as my top priority.
“My desire is to give myself totally to God and to love Him far more than I love myself.”
Jeanne Guyon
Relevant Reflections:
1. How close are you to God?
2. What can you do to change your position to deepen your intimacy with the Lord?
3. By looking at your life, what would others say is your number one priority?