St James' Church

Vicar Writes
12 August 2007
How lovely is your dwelling place (Psalms 84:1)
The Westminster confession describes the chief duty of man to be “to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.” Through some ancient songs (psalms), we will draw inspiration and faith to grow in this direction.

Ask any good Christian as to his purpose in life and most will probably say, “To live my life for the glory of God.’ But how many will say, “I live my life to enjoy God”? The earlier statement seems so much more altruistic and selfless – I live my life only for the benefit of another. To use the latter statement seems to imply otherwise.

Yet how likely is it for us to pursue something if we don’t find joy (e.g. enjoy) in doing? Why would God ask us to bless Him if in doing so, we are not blessed ourselves? This is a little secret I have discovered through experience (only 21 years in the faith) and observations (the wealth from experiences of others): that it is our intimacy and worship of God which consistently bring true joy in our daily lives. It is not just about what we do or trying to accomplish, it is about how we live our lives and whether it is marked by the joy of the presence of Christ. 

That is why the devil does everything to rob us of that joy. This happens when we begin to neglect the worship and presence of God (Psalm 84), often due to the sheer busyness of modern city living. We begin to fear for the future (especially that we may ‘lack many good things’, Psalm 34) except God. And of course, the ever present temptations which causes us to sin and rob us of that which made David to cry out in desperation (Psalm 51), ”Restore to me the joy of your salvation!”

There is an old chorus which was quite popular for many years and sung in many churches. It is called, “I wish you Jesus.” The song starts by saying that “I could wish you joy and peace to last the whole life long…but I wish you Jesus, more than anything.” It is when we find true peace with Christ and walk in His presence everyday that life is truly complete.

So as your pastor, that is my wish for you too. I wish you Jesus. Whether you are a student busy with exam preparations, a housewife with the daily chores of housekeeping and cooking or a businessman with office duties or travels – I pray that daily this week, you may know how lovely His dwelling place is and enjoy Him.