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“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!  My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”  -Psalm 84:1-2

A Doorkeeper

Open Up started with a simple picture in my mind of a door at the end of a tunnel.  Light was protruding  from every side of the door frame.  I illustrated the picture in my art journal and asked God what it meant.  In my mind I heard the words, “Open up the door.”  Then I began seeking the Lord because I wanted to know what was behind the door and what I was to illustrate next.  He led me to Psalm 84.  In this incredible passage, King David talks about wanting to be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord rather than living in the tents of the wicked.  In other words, he’d rather be at the door of the throne room (looking into God’s house) than to be outside away from the courts of God and from his Presence.

“Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked” (Psalm 84:10).  

Once I read Psalm 84, I then understood it was the courts of the Lord that lay behind the door.  Heaven was within reach!  The Presence of God was so close I could enter in and that’s why I created my second illustration of an open door with the courts of the Lord.

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Better Is One Day

In the moment when God showed me Psalm 84, I knew my choice.  I longed for God and his Presence.  Better is one day in his courts, than a thousand elsewhere.  I don’t want to dwell in the tents of the wicked.  I want to dwell in God’s house!  Better yet, I want to enter into his throne room! 

When I began illustrating Enter In, I drew the throne of Father God and then the throne of Jesus.  From there I drew a river flowing from both thrones.  In my spirit, I felt him leading me to make the river flow from both thrones, although I knew Jesus was called the River.  Nonetheless, I illustrated the River flowing from both thrones down the street of gold.

I turned to Revelation 22:1-2 to make sure I was illustrating the courts of the Lord correctly.  And I was thankful for what I read.  

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city” (Revelation 22:1).

It was very exciting to know that I had heard from the Lord and the River flowed from both thrones!  Lastly, I added in trees with fruit on both sides of the River, for the healing of the nations.

“On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.  And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2). 

Open Up and Enter In are reminders that we don’t have to just stand outside the door but we can open it up and enter in to his Presence.

 There’s no better place to be.  Let’s choose to open up the door and enter in to his courts!