April 22nd

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.
Psalm 84:10

As we walk in obedience to the Lord, we are closer to the Lord; that is, in the presence of the Lord. It is like being in His court or in His residence. The psalmist is expressing his belief about the importance and benefits of being close to the Lord. We walk in that presence when we obey the Lord and do the job that God calls us to do for that day. The Lord has an assignment for us on every day of our lives. When we do this assignment, we walk in union with Him and His goals for us.

When we walk in disobedience to His directions, we stray farther from His presence and lose the blessings that He designed for us on each day. When we disobey the Lord, we dwell in the tents of the wicked and lose His precious blessings. The author of this psalm felt so strongly about this that he felt that it was better to be a doorkeeper in the house of God rather than enjoy the benefits of sin and wickedness. God, in His love, freely offers His presence to us every day. We merely need to choose to obey Him and follow His Word to us in our daily actions and thoughts.