Better is one day

"For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You!"
Psalm 84:10-12

In 71 AD the Jewish temple was destroyed and the sacrifices came to a stop. Having rejected the Messiah, Jerusalem was laid waste, until not one stone stood on another. For the Jew, YHWH dwelt in the temple. His presence was in, His mercy flowed from, His blessing poured out of that one building. It would seem with its demolition, God had abandoned His people. However, something radically new was happening. rather than abandoning humanity, God chose to dwell more intimately with them than He ever had before. God chose to dwell inside of believers.

"Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are."  1 Corinthians 3:16-17

What does Psalm 84 say for the those who now walk as living temples, a holy priesthood to God? Better is one day as a sinner redeemed than a thousand days as the richest unbelieving king. Better is one day having hope for the future, grace for today, and peace with God than a thousand days reveling in darkness.

Is that true? Is the worst day in Christ better than the best day in sin? Sharing a divine perspective, we can confidently proclaim that it is better to endure a hard life on earth and find a loving Savior throwing the door open, running to you with open arms, drawing you into glory in eternity. Better is one day living without guilt. Better is one moment free of fear. Better is one life lived in the knowledge of God, than a thousand years of spiritual deadness, moral disaster, and terrifying uncertainty.

Does your perspective need an adjustment? Do you envy the goodness that sinners seem to experience? Can you boldly declare that the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is better than any other experience on earth?