The upright shall dwell in Thy presence

Psalm 140:13

Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

This verse speaks of where we live. It is not speaking of the place in which your physical being resides, or the temporal place you refer to as “home.” But this verse is speaking of a spiritual state in which the upright will dwell. The psalmist says, “the upright shall dwell in Thy presence.” The word dwell here has marvelous implications that help to explain what it means to dwell in the Lord’s presence. For “dwell” here means to abide, to settle, to inhabit, to remain, to keep house. It does not imply an intermittent visit or a sporadic encounter, but it means a place of continual abiding. The upright stay in the presence of the Lord! They live there! They reside there spiritually! They do not leave their dwelling place! For without are dogs. Without is danger. Outside of the dwelling place of God’s presence, sin is easily accessible. Many dangers lurk about. Temptations hold sway. Fear is king, and worry is one of his princes. Outside of the dwelling place of God’s presence, there is no guarantee of safety. For He is our “pavilion.” He is our Rock! When we dwell in His presence, we “behold the beauty of the Lord.” We “enquire in His temple.” See Psalm 27:4-5. He is our strong habitation, whereunto we may continually resort. See Psalm 71:3.

My friend, I want to ask you this day, where is your dwelling place? What spiritual house is your abode? Which pavilion do you run to? Are you dwelling in fear? Are you dwelling in bitterness or unforgiveness? Are you dwelling in worry or anger? Are you dwelling without the Lord’s wonderful presence? Where have you settled? Where do you live? My prayer for you is that you will make the Lord your dwelling place today. For it is the only place of peace and safety, the only place of constant joy, and the only place of protection from the enemy.

In the words of Anne Murphy:

“There’s a peace in my heart that the world never gave,

A peace it cannot take away;

Tho’ the trials of life may surround like a cloud,

I’ve a peace that has come there to stay!

Constantly abiding, Jesus is mine;

Constantly abiding, rapture divine;

He never leaves me lonely, whispers, O so kind:

‘I will never leave thee,’ Jesus is mine.”

“O Father, help us to abide in Thee today. May you be our pavilion. May you be our rock and refuge. May you alone be our strong habitation. We want to abide in you. We want to dwell with you. We want to remain in your presence. Draw us close, as we draw close to Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”