Swallows

Psalm 84:1-4 ~ The Amplified Version

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.

Yes, the sparrow has found a house, 

and the swallow a nest for herself, 

where she may lay her young—

even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my 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.

Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

A journal of first thoughts ~

Today, on this very windy day, I was walking the labyrinth and fully intended to read thru the whole of Psalm 84, but oh then Selah happened…with the chachalacas keeping an eye on things.

The picture of the swallow still lingers in my head. This “mom”, of God’s creation, was nesting in the temple. Yet, in those times, birds of all types were given as sacrifices. So, tho’ her home was there in God’s house and her children were to be raised there, there was no safety attached to their physical location. Quite the contrary!

But, verse 4 says, “Blessed” ~ she was blessed to be in Your house and in Your presence, as that is a forever existence, not ending by life here on earth. She will sing her song in Your house, forever in Your presence ~ so, no matter our circumstance, when our soul is nested at Your alter, we are forever blessed to be singing with the swallows.

~ Selah … Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!