Psalm 84- How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place
Introduction: The purest form of worship, as depicted in the Bible, involves being in God’s presence. Because our God is unseen, experiencing his presence is different than our other relationships. In Psalm 84, the psalmist meditates on the loveliness of experiencing God.
Opening Discussion Question: Let your mind wander for a moment: if you had a choice to be anywhere in the world (other than Warm Beach Camp of course!) where would you want to be?
- This Psalm opens up with a meditation on God’s dwelling place. What type of response does this evoke from the Psalmist? How does this reply signal a special relationship with the Lord?
- When you think of the Lord’s “dwelling place,” what images or ideas come to mind? How do you picture the place where God dwells?
- In what ways can believers foster a clearer vision of the loveliness of God’s presence? Daily, how are we able to value and treasure his presence in our lives?
- Verse 2 sounds dramatic doesn’t it? Should we expect the same type of emotional experiences in our own Christian lives today? Why or why not?
- Verses 3-7 speak of blessings for God’s people. What are those blessings? What are some ways that God’s people experience them?
- The Psalmist calls himself God’s “anointed one” in verse 9? What is the spiritual significance of this term?
- Verse 10 provides an interesting contrast. What is the Psalmist revealing about the manifold pleasures of worship. Is this a perspective we can foster in our spiritual lives? If so, how?
- What are some spiritual obstacles that would keep us from experiencing the truths present in verses 10-12? How can a Christian learn to reorient his or her pursuit of pleasure?
- How should our churches be a reflection of the truths in this Psalm? How can our corporate worship contribute to the believer’s application of the principles of Psalm 84? What would a church that reflected these principles look like?