Friday May 14, 2021

3 reasons why "Better one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere" gives hope to Christians

Our lives tend to get more and more full, not easier, and sometimes taking time for God is the thing we neglect first. We've all had days when we skipped worship to rest or realized we hadn't read the Bible lately.

We must remember that when it comes to our connection with God, "one day is better in your courts" than many days spent in other places.

It keeps us from comparing ourselves to others

Sooner or later we will all compare ourselves to others and wish we had more. Others may make more money, have better cars or a better reputation, or just seem to “have it all” in ways we don't have. Remembering that someday in the courts of the Lord is better than anything else brings us back to remembering that we will find peace in doing what God has commanded us to do. The popularity and prosperity contests will get us nowhere, but serving God and staying in his presence will lead us to something greater.

It shows us that our work makes sense

Some Korahites were gatekeepers, others were part of the temple worship team. We tend to think of the first job as “servant work” and the second job as “important work for God”. However, Psalm 84 shows that both jobs have value. Theologians have argued that when we examine how the Bible describes "good work" ; we realize that God has given us talents and jobs for one reason : to use them well. So whenever we use the talents that God has given us well, we serve him. So while we should not neglect worship service in the church, doing "an act of service" like leading worship is only one way of serving and honoring God. It frees us a lot. We don't have to worry about not doing enough for God because we are not going on a missionary trip or because we are not a church pastor. We can serve and worship God with our daily service.

It keeps us down to earth

Even if we don't compare ourselves to others, there will be days when things don't go well. It's easy to get distracted by these difficult times. Remembering that serving in a modest position can actually be better than a cushy life in a mansion shows us that our prospects are not always good. God's ways are not ours, and what we see is not always correct. Learning to go beyond our own perceptions and seek God's vision of life will bring us much more hope and joy in the long run.

It will always be easy in this life not to worship God or to misunderstand what it means to worship God in the first place. Christians find their peace by spending time with the Lord and doing things for him. Even doing small chores for God is better than doing something comfortable but not guided by him. Because we honor God when we do a good job for his glory, we can serve him in many areas that are not "related to the church." Although we do not always get rewards for our good deeds in this life, we know that doing them contributes to the kingdom of God and that we will eventually see the rewards for our efforts.

G. Connor

Source (Christian Info)