This is the opening phrase of Psalm 84. It speaks of the loveliness and graciousness of God, His presence and the places where he dwells. Hopefully we all know something of this. It can be understood in the context of a home where godliness, peace, joy and contentment are the abiding and dominant characteristics. In the Old Testament God chose to place this beauty and grace upon the two places He chose to dwell on this earth. Those two places are the tabernacle, constructed in the wilderness and later, upon the temple constructed by Solomon. These were places of rich beauty and sacred importance. Today God has chosen to dwell in His people. And again, it is His will to place His beauty upon these people. This beauty that He places upon His own is not a physical beauty but a spiritual beauty. Paul speaks of it as the essence and fragrance of their lives.
2 Corinthians 2:14-16 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
All too often we get caught up in all of the things that we are doing and intend to do for God. In this matter we are often a busy and ambitious people. We become so distracted by what we are doing that we fail to understand how much more important it is that we give our greatest attention to what we are. We are called to be a gracious people a people characterized by the traits and temperament of God. We have a very holy and honorable calling.
