Safe Place

You whisper a song over me
I'm slow to answer,slow to speak
I found a safe place

How wide is your love
How high, how deep- it's untouched
And I'm not enough
I've found a safe place in You

Remember the day You called my name
I was a stranger in Your house but just the same
I've found a safe place

You are the One my heart is waiting for
You are my treasure, You are my key and You are the door
You hold me quiet, You hold me tight, You hold me safe

Today I was listening to this song written as part of Enter the Worship Circle I became so moved. This song was written as a response to Psalm 84, a Korah Psalm. I had no idea what this meant and I'm still a little bit unsure. With a bit of google research I found an article on JSTOR that explains that the sons of Korah were temple door keepers. Interesting. Seated right outside the temple, but maybe never to enter the presence of God in His fullness. Yet, still they knew glimpses of what it felt like in His presence, relying on that as enough to satiate their trust and appetite. I may be very off from where this was meant to go, but I feel very similar to the sons of Korah.
I have stood outside of the presence and understanding of God's fullness. I have looked in on the beauty and felt the presence, but I have not taken the step inside, the commitment to letting myself be fully in His presence and under His control. While I know and can see the joy that comes with dwelling in His house, there is also fear for me. I find my strength in stuff that momentarily fills the void: money, sex, power, attention... the list would go on and on. I wish I could surrender that control, and I know I can, but I will not be shoved into God's presence. I need to make the executive decision, it's my job to step into his presence and let Him be my shield and fight my fights for me, so I don't have to. It sounds so refreshing, to not have to worry so much anymore, that an omnipotent God has my back, but it's not. At least not for me. But it should be! It shouldn't be this hard to surrender and nest in his provisions and find a safe place in Him, but for some reason I find my idea of safety and comfort isn't always parallel to what His is. However, verses 11 & 12 state otherwise: "For the Lord is a sun and a shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; Now good thing does He uphold for those who walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11),but here's the kicker... or the punchline, I guess, verse 12 "Oh Lord of Hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You." The Lord will provide a place for me, a shelter, and dwelling in that presence all else will seem like shambles. I just need to step away from the temple door and walk inside and make the commitment to live in that glory, rather than watching it from the outside.

Amen