A Blessed Renewal

Introduction

It is amazing as you study the book of Psalms how many times we find a writer penning a Psalm to express his heart to God after being away from the house of God by no choice of his own.

Most of us, if we were able to gather, would be here in the house of God tonight. Yet we are under restrictions to promote public safety that have hindered our ability to come to the house of God.

Again I would like to emphasize that God saw this pandemic coming and has allowed it to spread as it has to this point. It is God who has the power to stop the spread or to continue the spread of this virus as he sees fit.

With that thought in mind, we must recognize that nothing God does is without purpose and plan. I am absolutely convinced that God has allowed this crisis to develop as it has to accomplish some things in the lives of His children.

We see reflected in this Psalm the effects that a time away from the house of God had upon the writer and the renewal it can bring to our lives.

The time away from the house of God brought about a:

Renewal of Love for the House of God (Vs. 1-4)

It is evident that the time away from the temple had only increased his longing to return there once more.

We understand that we do not have to be at this building to be in the presence of God. As believers we have constant access to God by our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Yet one thing that we must understand is that it is impossible to have “church” isolated in our homes. There is a place designated where believers assemble together throughout the Word of God and this place was always a special place where God met with His people in a special way.

In the old testament we see the temple and the tabernacle, and in the new we see the church which would often meet in a house or in some other place but would still assemble together in a specific place.

There is nothing special about the building where we meet but there is absolutely something special about gathering together in a specific place to worship the Lord, to fellowship with one another, and to hear the preaching of the Word of God.

The time away from the place where we meet together should renew a longing and love for this place!

Notice the words of the Psalmist- “how amiable (beloved)”- the psalmist dearly loved the house of God

“longeth” and “even fainteth”- deep yearning to the point of total exhaustion

Many of us have enjoyed attending church and being in the house of God but could we truly say that we have deeply longed to be in the house of God?

It is God’s desire that we would have this deep yearning for the house of God where we meet with the people of God.

Imagine if every believer longed for the house of God with this same sincerity. We would not wake up Sunday morning and decide whether to attend church, we would be desperately longing to return from the moment we left on Wednesday night.

Each of us could use a renewal of our love for the house of God and this time away should cause us to treasure and cherish it much more.

Renewal of Spiritual Strength (Vs. 5-7)

The psalmist here speaks of those who would travel through dry and barren lands to arrive at the temple once again.

There may be valleys of weeping before we again are able to meet together in the house of God but we need not waste these valleys.

The psalmist speaks of those who made these valleys of weeping a well.

This time in the valley can be a profitable time for each and every one of us if we will use it to draw closer to the Lord and to allow Him to strengthen us spiritually.

We can turn the valley into a well by allowing God to mold and shape us during this time. We can take this time to strengthen our walk with the Lord, to strengthen our prayer lives, and to strengthen our study of the Word of God.

So often even those who regularly attend church have very weak spiritual lives outside of church. It may be that God has allowed these circumstances so that He may have the opportunity to strengthen our personal spirituality.

Church is a vital part of the life of every believer’s spiritual health but it is no substitute for a personal walk with God.

It is God’s intent that every believer would come out of this crisis strengthened, not weakened, by their time in this valley.

God will strengthen us to face each day that this crisis drags on until finally we can be back in the house of God again.

There will come a time when we can gather in the house of God again but what will your spiritual condition be in the meantime?

Renewal of Appreciation for the Goodness of God (Vs. 8-12)

The Psalmist may have taken God’s goodness for granted in the past but it is clear that he has a renewed appreciation for the goodness of God in these final verses.

He had a new appreciation for the joy of being in the house of God with the freedom to worship with the people of God.

The Psalmist realized that his time in the house of God was a time to be treasured and not taken for granted.

He came to recognize how far superior to be in the house of God than to be enjoying all the pleasures that sin has to offer.

He refers to God as a sun and shield. God’s light has shone brightly in our nation but so many have taken it for granted and the light has began to fade.

God has protected our nation throughout our history and we have come to assume that America would never have to face the hardships and difficulties that other nations have faced.

God has been good to us and we ought now to have a greater sense of his goodness towards us.

We ought also to recognize that God’s goodness is not guaranteed but is contingent upon our willingness to walk uprightly.

God could cause our nation to sink into an economic depression, He could cause us to lose the liberty we have so long enjoyed in this nation.

We had better learn to appreciate the goodness of God and the freedom and prosperity we enjoy at His hand.

Conclusion

The Psalmist concludes with the simple thought that the man who is blessed is the man whose trust is in God.

We must continue to trust God in the midst of this crisis and allow Him to work in our lives through the impact that it has had upon our lives.

May we allow God to renew our love for the house of God, renew our spiritual strength, and give us a renewed appreciation for His goodness to our nation and each of us individually.