In Psalm 84, we can read the words of an Old Testament saint who experienced the Lord and His love so deeply that He became dearer to us than anything else in life.

While worshiping in the tabernacle, moved by the sweetness of God's manifest presence, he says: "How lovely are Your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul yearns, yes, even pines and is homesick for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out and sing for joy to the living God... Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are those who dwell in Your house and Your presence; they will be singing Your praises all the day long" (Ps. 84:1-2,4).

What made the tabernacle so lovely to this person? God's manifest presence was there. In essence, the psalmist was saying, "There is little I need when I am in this place except God Himself. If everything else was stripped away - all my natural efforts, achievements, and possessions - and all I had was God, it would be enough. In God's tabernacle, I experience Him in a personal way. This isn't someone else's experience; I'm discovering Him for myself."

If you've ever experienced God's presence in that way, you know it's the greatest treasure you could ever have. But, like most Christians, you may have thought the treasure of God's manifest presence was hidden away, reserved for special occasions or super-saints.

You may not have realized that you could experience that powerful presence every single day.

Source: Renewed In His Presence by Lynne Hammond.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers