Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale Daily DevotionalSample

You're welcome!

Deep down, all of us are looking for a place where we can be safe, where we can feel secure, where we can find shelter from the whirling madness of this world. There's an instinctive longing to belong to something greater than ourselves...not merely tolerated, but genuinely received and warmly welcomed.

In Psalm 84:3, we find this destination defined for us: the altar of God. Contextually, the altar refers to the entire Temple or House of God. It's that place which has been set aside and apart from all other places to connect and commune with the Lord. From a New Testament perspective, the "altar of God" is the local church, where believers corporately gather.

Notice how the Psalmist describes this place. It's a place where a sparrow can dwell, it's a place where a small swallow can build a nest and safely raise her young. The picture is poignant and powerful. The altar of God is where the weakest and most vulnerable of all creatures are welcomed and protected.

That's the same spirit that ought to define the Church of Jesus Christ. It ought to be a place where the weak find safety, security, and shelter. It ought to be a place where people feel welcomed and received. It ought to be that place where each of us, in our vulnerable natures, instinctively seeks after.

Jesus was not an intimidating man towards those who humbly sought His help, and He wants His Church to be an extension of His heart. The House of God is to be different from all the other places in this world. Worldly dwellings routinely shove aside the weak and needy, and lift up the high and mighty. Church ought not be that way.

Great God, thank you for making Your House a place where we are always welcome and where we find protection to cover our weakness.

Deep down, all of us are looking for a place where we can be safe, where we can feel secure, where we can find shelter from the whirling madness of this world.

Think about it... What does this passage reveal to me about God? What does this passage reveal to me about myself? Based on this, what changes do I need to make? What is my prayer for today?