April 28, 2021 | Dan Low

Students returning to their classrooms. Families planning their next vacation. Friends meeting up for that long-awaited dinner. Workers heading back to the office on a limited basis. Our faith community joining together for in-person worship and fellowship gatherings.

As we restart many segments of our life that we have paused or readjusted ever since the middle of March 2020, we do so with an elevated sense of gratitude to God for his sustaining grace. In the midst of real hardship, personal loss, and prolonged anxiety, our Father in heaven has encouraged and strengthened us in every way.

Throughout this pandemic, we have not only come to appreciate our loved ones so much more, but also our gracious and faithful God who refreshes us daily with his new mercies. That blessing becomes a catalyst for our worship.

So many of the biblical psalms are inspired by a renewed awareness of the majesty and goodness of our God. I love the way that Psalm 84 begins (verses 1-2): “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” The harsh reality of desert-like experiences coupled with being disconnected and distanced from his place of public worship intensify his passion for the Lord’s presence.

That’s what I hope for us as we enter the presence of the Lord Almighty together in wholehearted worship. In this season of starting over, may our heart and flesh cry out with joy and passion for the living God who invites us to exalt his name together!