Psalms 61:4 | I Long to Dwell
Psalms 61:4 says, “I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.”
Getting closer to God is deeply tied to what we desire. When our desires are for the things of the world and the desires of the flesh, we are more likely to turn from God and pursue the things that we think we need. When our desires are for God, we are more likely to seek him and live in his kingdom.
There is a mindset that I have heard in the past when it comes to worship, prayer, desiring God, and giving him glory. This mindset questions why we need to worship God by telling him he is worthy and holy. Doesn’t God already know that? Why do we need to tell him? Related to our verse today, we might think: If I have already been saved through faith in Jesus, why do I need to long to dwell with him forever? Am I not already going to heaven? Is God’s Spirit not already with me?
These are valid questions because, of course, God already knows he is holy and worthy… we can only echo that truth back to him because he has revealed it to us through his word and his Spirit. In the same way, we already have an invitation into the kingdom of God. God has already paid the ransom for our sins, and we live in the first moments of an eternal promise of life.
Yet there is something critical to worshipping by telling God who he is. There is something vital about longing for more of God.
I think about marriage. Technically speaking, Erin and I were married as soon as we said our vows. Does that mean that I no longer have to desire to be her husband? Does that mean I should no longer tell her that she is my wife and makes me happy? That would be absurd because without leaning into the marriage, it will fall apart.
In the same way, we are called to lean into the presence of God every day. Even when we feel full, we are invited to desire God more deeply. Yet, for many of us, this call to desire God stirs up a part of our faith that is dusty, rusty, and inactive. I’m not sure where to point to blame for this reality, and I do not have room to explore it in this prompt, but the truth is that many Christians have a faith that looks like saying the wedding vows and checking out. A verse like this has to confront our faith and stir up new or renewed desire.
Join me today in leaning in to desire more of God. Perhaps the rest of Psalm 61 will give you an image of a heart that longs for God.
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