We sang a song at church this past Sunday at the new church I think I am going to start attending that I hadn't heard in quite awhile, but it really struck a cord with me. I have been searching for a new church home off and on for that past 6 months since I moved back home to Fort Wayne. After attending such an amazing church down in Indy, I guess I had a high standard and just wouldn't settle until I felt like God had really led me to the right place. My new job made it even more difficult because I have been working a lot more weekends and haven't been able to go on a lot of Sundays. The song we sang this past Sunday that really hit home was Better Is One Day. It's a pretty popular worship song sung by the likes of Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, and Kuttless, but just in case you haven't heard it here are the lyrics to the first verse and chorus
How lovely is
Your dwelling place
Oh Lord Almighty,
For my soul longs
And even faints
For You
Oh, here my heart
Is satisfied (is satisfied)
Within Your presence
I see beneath
The shadow of
Your wings
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
After a time of being in church so intermittently, being back in church this past Sunday reminded me how important and refreshing being in His Dwelling Place really is! It is true. My soul really was longing and even fainting for His presence. I was spiritually thirsty and hungering for that feeling of worshiping with fellow believers and lifting voices to our God. But, even as amazing as being back in church and "His Courts" was I realized while we were singing that song that being in God's Dwelling Place doesn't mean you have to be in a church building! I have experienced some of the most amazing worship experiences outside of a church building...in my car, my home, and even in the bush in Africa! In fact, the most raw and authentic worship experiences I've had were in church services in Uganda!! Those Ugandans know how to worship!! They could teach us all a thing or two or ten about how to truly commune with God!! In this new year I am going to focus a lot more on really finding time to spend with God in His Dwelling Place on a daily basis! It is there that He teaches me, and molds me, and leads me to places I can never imagine!! He has big things in store for my life this year and I can't wait to discover more and more what those are! I'm done trying to fit God into my life and my schedule!! One day in His Courts is far better than a thousand in mine!!
