Longing for God's House

841 How dear are your tents, O Lord of armies! 2 The passion of my soul's desire is for the house of the Lord; my heart and my flesh are crying out for the living God. 3 The little birds have places for themselves, where they may put their young, even your altars, O Lord of armies, my King and my God. 4 Happy are they whose resting-place is in your house: they will still be praising you. (Selah.) 5 Happy is the man whose strength is in you; in whose heart are the highways to Zion. 6 Going through the valley of balsam-trees, they make it a place of springs; it is clothed with blessings by the early rain. 7 They go from strength to strength; every one of them comes before God in Zion.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 84:1-7

Commentary on Psalm 84:1-7

(Read Psalm 84:1-7)

The ordinances of God are the believer's solace in this evil world; in them he enjoys the presence of the living God: this causes him to regret his absence from them. They are to his soul as the nest to the bird. Yet they are only an earnest of the happiness of heaven; but how can men desire to enter that holy habitation, who complain of Divine ordinances as wearisome? Those are truly happy, who go forth, and go on in the exercise of religion, in the strength of the grace of Jesus Christ, from whom all our sufficiency is. The pilgrims to the heavenly city may have to pass through many a valley of weeping, and many a thirsty desert; but wells of salvation shall be opened for them, and consolations sent for their support. Those that press forward in their Christian course, shall find God add grace to their graces. And those who grow in grace, shall be perfect in glory.