The Blessed Person

[Psalm 84]

Abraham Lincoln had many nicknames, one of which was "Honest Abe." This story takes us back to his teenage years when he worked as a clerk in a store. One day, a customer came, paid for some goods, and left. Later, Lincoln realized he had not given the customer 10 cents in change. Troubled by this, he spent the entire night in distress over the 10 cents. The next day, on a holiday, he walked three miles to find the customer and return the 10 cents. People around him praised his honesty, but Lincoln replied, “I don’t understand why I should be praised. I am not someone who deserves praise for doing what is expected. I should be praised for doing more than what is required.” After becoming a lawyer, the first thing he did was to offer free legal counsel to those who couldn’t afford to sue. On the first day of a case, he said, “I am happy to be able to fulfill the promise I made to God in my youth” (Internet).

Truly, I believe Abraham Lincoln was a vessel of blessing used by God. When I think about how many people experienced the blessing of freedom through him, I have this thought: "God has used both of my parents as vessels of blessing, and through them, He has poured abundant blessings upon me." Because of the blessings God has given me through my parents, I also desire to be a vessel of blessing to others. To that end, I want to meditate on the message of Psalm 84 today. In this psalm, the phrase "Blessed are those..." is mentioned three times (verses 4, 5, and 12). As I reflect on this, I would like to think about what it truly means to be a “blessed person.” My hope is that all of us, both you and I, can become people of blessing and, while living in this world, be channels of God's blessings. I bless you in the name of Jesus.

First, a blessed person is one who dwells in the house of the Lord.

Look at Psalm 84:4 in the Bible: "Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will still be praising You." (Selah). This psalmist was likely a priest who had come to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage (Dr. Park Yoon-seon). He deeply longed to go to the temple (vv. 1-4). Why did he long for the Lord’s temple so much? The reason is that the Lord’s temple is the place where one prays to God (Dr. Park Yoon-seon). In that place, as he prayed to God, the psalmist could encounter God and fellowship with Him, which is why he longed for the Lord’s temple so much. In his longing, the psalmist confessed, “O Lord of hosts, how lovely is Your dwelling place” (v. 1). Dr. Park Yoon-seon once said, “The beauty of the church is not established by the building but by the fact that the Spirit of God dwells in it.” The temple of God is a house of prayer. In the temple, as we pray to God, He comes near to us (Deuteronomy 4:7). The psalmist experienced God’s presence in the temple and confessed that he found it so lovely.

How much did the psalmist long for the Lord’s temple? Look at verse 2: “My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” The psalmist longed so much for the Lord’s courts that even his body grew weak. His longing for the temple came because he deeply yearned for God’s presence through prayer. Therefore, he cried out to the living God with all his heart and soul.

As the psalmist cried out to "My King and my God, the Lord of hosts" (v. 3), he expressed his feelings: “Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young—at Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God” (v. 3). Here, the psalmist compares himself to a sparrow that has found a home and a swallow that has found a place to raise her young. But since he is far from the temple, he laments his situation with great sorrow and desperately pleads to be able to go to the Lord’s temple (Dr. Park Yoon-seon).

That’s why he says: “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness” (v. 10). To dwell in the courts of the Lord means “living a life in true fellowship with God” (Dr. Park Yoon-seon). The psalmist’s confession that living one day in fellowship with God is better than living a thousand days in sin teaches us to long for the Lord and His church even more.

We should long for the house of God, just like the psalmist in the Bible. We need to go up to the house of God, gather together, and unite in prayer, holding on to the promises of God and experiencing His presence through prayer. The church, which is the house of the Lord, is a house of prayer. As we experience the sweetness of prayer, we should long even more for the house of God. In this longing, we should be like the blessed ones, dwelling in the Lord’s house and constantly praising Him (v. 4). I still remember when, during the 2003 Church Renewal Pastors' Fellowship (Church Renewal Association), we received the promise from Matthew 16:18: "I will build My church," and sang hymn #246, “My Lord's Kingdom,” with tears while thinking of Victory Presbyterian Church. Especially during the first verse, I was so moved that I could not hold back my tears: “I love my Lord’s kingdom, the temple where He resides, and the church He bought with His blood.” And when we sang the third verse, “For this church, with tears and prayers, I will serve until my last breath,” I made a decision to return to Victory Presbyterian Church and serve faithfully. How much more should we long for that eternal house of God, that heavenly kingdom? We, like the psalmist in today’s passage, are already pilgrims on our way to the true Jerusalem—the heavenly city. And just as the faithful ancestors in Hebrews 11 were pilgrims on earth, we too are "strangers and pilgrims" in this world (Heb. 11:13). We are those who "desire a better, that is, a heavenly country" (v. 16). As we press forward toward that heavenly home, we will see the Lord face to face (1 Cor. 13:12), and we will dwell with Him forever. Therefore, we must set our minds on things above and seek those things (Col. 3:1-2). Such a person is truly a blessed one.

Secondly, the blessed person is one who receives strength from the Lord.

Look at Psalm 84:5: “Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage.” The blessed person longs for the Lord’s temple and desires to go up to it with great passion, crying out to God for the strength He provides. This is because, in prayer, he yearns to experience the presence of the Lord, the “God who is my strength” (Ps. 18:1). Why did the psalmist long to receive strength from the Lord? Look at verse 7: "They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion." He longed to receive the strength that only God can give because he knew that only with God’s strength could he ascend to the temple in Zion (Dr. Park Yoon-seon). Why is God’s strength necessary to ascend to the temple of the Lord? The reason is given in verse 6: “As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring; the early rain also covers it with blessings.” Dr. Park Yoon-seon explains, “In the past, when the Israelites lived abroad, the effort and determination to visit the Jerusalem temple involved hardships and challenges, like passing through the ‘Valley of Baca.’ However, if they endured and passed through it, they would encounter the ‘springs’ of comfort and joy. And there, they would receive the ‘early rain’ of divine blessings and spiritually experience seeing God.” Therefore, the psalmist cried out to God: “O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob” (v. 8).

One of my favorite gospel hymns is "The Blessed Man" (or "He Who Receives Strength from the Lord"). The lyrics of the song go like this:

“He who receives strength from the Lord, and has in his heart the way to Zion, is a blessed man of God. The Lord is so pleased with that way. He who longs to dwell in the house of the Lord and always praises Him is a blessed man of God. The Lord loves him so much. His service is a beautiful song, his dedication is a fragrant prayer. Wherever his feet may tread, the name of the Lord will be exalted.”

This hymn is based on the words of Psalm 84. Every time I hear this hymn, I feel strengthened. When I listen to or sing this hymn, I gain strength from the Lord and long even more to dwell in His house. Even when I feel discouraged, I rise again with the strength the Lord gives me and move forward toward the heavenly kingdom. Especially as I think of the heavenly kingdom and the spiritual mentors who are there, my longing for that kingdom grows even more. Perhaps this feeling is what the hymn refers to as having "the way to Zion in your heart." The path toward Zion, which is engraved deeply in our hearts as we become more and more heavenly-minded, is a way full of strength and hope. The steps we take on that path with the Lord are steps full of strength and hope. Therefore, we are blessed people.

Finally, thirdly, the blessed person is one who relies on the Lord.

Look at Psalm 84:12: "O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in You." What kind of God did the psalmist rely on?

(1) The psalmist relied on God, our shield (v. 9).

In the journey toward the temple of Zion, there are many difficulties and trials, like the "valley of tears." Because of this, the psalmist relied more and more on the Lord, who is the shield of the church. The psalmist says: "My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart" (Psalm 7:10).

(2) The psalmist relied on God, who gives grace and glory.

Look at Psalm 84:11: "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." The God in whom the psalmist relied is the one who gives grace and glory, and who does not withhold anything good from those who walk uprightly. The psalmist relied on that God.

The hymn 342, verse 1 and the chorus say:

"When facing difficult times, though my faith is small, I rely more on my Lord. As time passes, I will only trust in Him; no matter what happens, I will trust in Jesus."

We should rely only on God, who is our shield, the one who gives grace and glory to those who live with integrity, and does not withhold any good thing from them. As time goes by, whenever we face difficulties, we realize our weak faith. In the midst of this weakness and powerlessness, we must recognize more and more that we should rely only on Jesus. Those who rely solely on the Lord are blessed people.

On this rainy Wednesday evening, you who have come to the Lord's house, desiring to praise and pray, are blessed people. You who cry out to God, receiving strength from the Lord, and having the way to Zion in your hearts, are blessed people. As time passes, you who trust more and more in the Lord are blessed people. The Lord is so pleased with you. The Lord loves you deeply. Your service is a beautiful song. Your devotion is a fragrant prayer. Wherever you walk, the name of the Lord will be exalted.

As blessed people, I earnestly wish for you to be channels of blessing.

Pastor James Kim

(Rejoicing in the blessed people who receive strength from the Lord and have the way to Zion in their hearts)