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TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. Psalm 84:10a

Read: Psalm 84

Listen: Psalm 84

TODAY’S MESSAGE

Herod’s temple was extravagant. The sight of it elicited awe and wonder. As you approached, you realized your unworthiness. The outer area was the court of Gentiles, and anyone could be in this area. But you couldn’t go any further unless you were a Jew. Carved stones flanking the entrance to the next area, the court of women, threatened death to any non-Jew who dared enter. After the court of women was the court of men, where the majority of sacrifices took place. Inside that court was the actual temple, divided into two areas. The first contained another altar where only a select priest was allowed to go in to burn incense. The final space was the holiest of all. Only the high priest could enter that space and only once a year.

Everything about the temple shouted God’s holiness and your unworthiness. It said, “You don’t belong here.” The layers of separation kept you away from a holy God. A God of goodness and rightness. Even on our best days—we are a blend of good and bad, of right and wrong. We definitely aren’t all good or all right. But, God is.

IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY

Worship the God who is all good, who is all right. Take out your journal or a piece of paper and write a prayer of worship something like this, “God, you are perfect. You are all good and all right. There is nothing wrong or bad in you. I praise you for this. You deserve my praise, and I offer it to you. You are the one who made the heavens and the earth, and you give me the breath to breathe. You are great and worthy to be praised.”

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